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Dividends - Summary of dividends paid (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Dividends paid during the year | $ 10,334 | $ 5,356 | $ 4,250
Dividends per share: paid during the year | $ 6.35 | $ 3.07 | $ 2.35
Final Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | 2.310 | 1.800 | 1.800
Special Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ 0.000 | $ 2.430 | $ 0.000
Rio Tinto plc [Member] | Final Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Previous year final dividend paid | $ 2,245 | $ 2,446 | $ 1,725
Interim dividend paid | 1,930 | 1,666 | 1,530
Rio Tinto plc [Member] | Special Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Previous year final dividend paid | 3,032 | 0 | 0
Interim dividend paid | 780 | 0 | 0
Rio Tinto Limited [Member] | Final Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Previous year final dividend paid | 666 | 731 | 523
Interim dividend paid | 556 | 513 | 472
Rio Tinto Limited [Member] | Special Dividends [Member] |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |
Previous year final dividend paid | 900 | 0 | 0
Interim dividend paid | $ 225 | $ 0 | $ 0

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- Definition The amount, per share, of dividends proposed or declared before financial statements were authorised for issue but not recognised as distribution to owners. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 137 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_137_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of dividends recognised as distributions to owners of the parent. [Refer: Parent [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 106 -Subparagraph d -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_106_d&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of dividends relating to the current year, recognised as distributions to owners of the parent. [Refer: Parent [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 106 -Subparagraph d -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_106_d&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount of dividends relating to prior years, recognised as distributions to owners of the parent. [Refer: Parent [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 106 -Subparagraph d -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_106_d&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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- Definition The amount, per share, 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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