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Dividends - Summary of dividends per share (Detail) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2019 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2019 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2019 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares
Final Dividends [Member] | Rio Tinto plc [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share | (per share) | $ 1.800 | £ 1.3596 |  | $ 1.800 | £ 1.2943 |  | $ 1.250 | £ 1.0056 |
Interim dividend per share | (per share) | 1.510 | 1.2332 |  | 1.270 | 0.9682 |  | 1.100 | 0.8313 |
Final Dividends [Member] | Rio Tinto Limited [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share |  |  | $ 2.5089 |  |  | $ 2.2853 |  |  | $ 1.6362
Interim dividend per share |  |  | 2.1908 |  |  | 1.7084 |  |  | 1.3772
Special Dividends [Member] | Rio Tinto plc [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share | (per share) | 2.430 | 1.8355 |  | $ 0.0000 |  |  | $ 0.0000 |  |
Interim dividend per share | (per share) | $ 0.610 | £ 0.4982 |  |  | £ 0.0000 |  |  | £ 0.0000 |
Special Dividends [Member] | Rio Tinto Limited [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share |  |  | 3.3870 |  |  | 0.0000 |  |  | 0.0000
Interim dividend per share |  |  | $ 0.8850 |  |  | $ 0.000 |  |  | $ 0.000

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