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Other reserves and retained earnings - Summary of other reserves and retained earnings (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | $ 8,661 |  |
Own shares purchased from Rio Tinto Limited shareholders to satisfy share options |  |  |  | $ 0
Employee share options: value of services | [1] | (106) | $ (254) | (82)
Companies no longer consolidated |  | (32) |  | (2)
Ending balance |  | 9,177 | 8,661 |
Parent and subsidiaries currency translation and exchange adjustments |  | 65 | (213) |
Beginning balance |  | 27,025 |  |
Equity accounted units' profit after tax for the year |  | 301 | 513 | 339
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income |  | 77 | (325) | (153)
Dividends |  | (10,710) | (5,771) | (4,653)
Employee share options and other IFRS 2 charges to the income statement |  | 126 | 111 | 98
Ending balance |  | 23,387 | 27,025 |
Capital redemption reserve [Member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | 47 | 38 | 34
Own shares purchased and cancelled |  | 4 | 9 | 4
Ending balance |  | 51 | 47 | 38
Cash flow hedge reserve |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | 195 | 32 | 32
Adjustment for transition to new accounting standards (note 45) |  | 0 | (4) | 0
Cash flow hedge gains/(losses) |  | 12 | 156 | 62
Cash flow hedge losses/(gains) transferred to the income statement |  | (41) | 40 | (62)
Tax on the above |  | (6) | (54) | 0
Transfers and other movements |  | 0 | 25 | 0
Ending balance |  | 160 | 195 | 32
Available for sale revaluation reserves [member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | 0 | 20 | (126)
Adjustment for transition to new accounting standards (note 45) |  | 0 | (20) | 0
Gains on available for sale securities |  | 0 | 0 | 19
Losses on available for sale securities transferred to the income statement |  | 0 | 0 | 6
Tax on the above |  | 0 | 0 | (1)
Transfers and other movements |  | 0 | 0 | 122
Ending balance |  | 0 | 0 | 20
Fair Value through Other Comprehensive Income reserve [member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | (6) | 0 | 0
Adjustment for transition to new accounting standards (note 45) |  | 0 | 8 | 0
Losses on equity investments |  | (5) | (11) | 0
Transfers to retained earnings |  | 0 | (3) | 0
Ending balance |  | (11) | (6) | 0
Cost of Hedging Reserve [Member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | (13) | 0 | 0
Adjustment for transition to new accounting standards (note 45) |  | 0 | 26 | 0
Cost of hedging deferred to reserves during the year |  | 3 | (36) | 0
Transfer of cost of hedging to the income statement |  | 0 | (3) | 0
Ending balance |  | (10) | (13) | 0
Other reserves [member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | 11,650 | 11,714 | 11,861
Own shares purchased from Rio Tinto Limited shareholders to satisfy share options |  | (63) | (114) | (64)
Employee share options: value of services |  | 52 | 52 | 31
Deferred tax on share options |  | 4 | (2) | 10
Companies no longer consolidated |  | 0 | 0 | (124)
Ending balance |  | 11,643 | 11,650 | 11,714
Foreign currency translation reserve [member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Beginning balance |  | 8,661 | 12,284 |
Ending balance |  | 9,177 | 8,661 | 12,284
Beginning balance |  | (3,212) | 480 | (2,585)
Parent and subsidiaries currency translation and exchange adjustments |  | 331 | (3,658) | 2,942
Equity accounted units currency translation adjustments |  | 10 | (48) | 34
Currency translation reclassified on disposal |  | 215 | 14 | 78
Transfers and other movements |  | 0 | 0 | 11
Ending balance |  | (2,656) | (3,212) | 480
Retained earnings [Member] |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Other Reserves And Retained Earnings [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Own shares purchased from Rio Tinto Limited shareholders to satisfy share options |  |  | (22) | (133)
Employee share options: value of services | [1] | (43) | (140) | (18)
Companies no longer consolidated |  |  |  | 130
Beginning balance |  | 27,025 | 23,761 | 21,631
Adjustment for transition to new accounting standards (note 45) |  | (113) | (179) | 0
Parent and subsidiaries' profit for the year |  | 7,709 | 13,125 | 8,423
Equity accounted units' profit after tax for the year |  | 301 | 513 | 339
Actuarial gains/(losses) |  | (259) | 894 | 1
Tax relating to components of other comprehensive income |  | 81 | (269) | (150)
Total comprehensive income for the year |  | 7,832 | 14,263 | 8,613
Share buy-back programme |  | (1,135) | (5,423) | (2,312)
Dividends |  | (10,334) | (5,356) | (4,250)
Companies no longer consolidated |  | 0 | 0 | 130
Increase (decrease) through other changes, equity |  | (43) | (140) | (18)
Employee share options and other IFRS 2 charges to the income statement |  | 70 | 61 | 57
Transfer from FVOCI reserve |  | 0 | 3 | 0
Transfers and other movements |  | 0 | (25) | (133)
Ending balance |  | $ 23,387 | $ 27,025 | $ 23,761
[1] | Net of contributions received from employees for share options.

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- Definition The amount of dividends recognised as distributions to owners. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 107 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_107&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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