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Rio Tinto financial information by business unit Rio Tinto financial information by business unit - Schedule of financial information by business unit (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($)
$ in Millions
 12 Months Ended
Jul. 16, 2019
Aug. 01, 2018
Jun. 01, 2018
Dec. 31, 2020
Dec. 31, 2019
Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proportion of net beneficial interest       53.00%    
Net beneficial interest held percentage       35.00%    
Net beneficial interest held percentage as owned subsidiary       100.00%    
Proceeds from sale of surplus land         $ 508  
Proceeds from issue of equity to non-controlling interests       $ 129 101 $ 85
Operating assets       47,718 $ 44,183 43,431
Capital expenditure percentage of subsidiaries         100.00%  
Consolidated sales revenue       44,611 $ 43,165 40,522
Profit before taxation       17,142 11,767 18,200
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       9,769 8,010 13,638
Restatement Adjustment For Legacy Alumina Contracts            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Profit before taxation         218 457
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto         171 355
Operating segments | Energy & Minerals            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       4,879 4,529 3,696
Consolidated sales revenue       5,014 5,150 5,451
Profit before taxation       1,646 1,762 2,140
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       577 611 995
Operating segments | Aluminium            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       15,365 16,030 16,446
Consolidated sales revenue       9,314 10,340 12,191
Profit before taxation       2,152 2,285 3,095
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       471 599 1,347
Operating segments | Aluminium | Intra-segment and other            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       662 780 769
Consolidated sales revenue       (2,510) (3,079) (4,084)
Profit before taxation       6 30 (92)
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       (159) 21 (69)
Australia            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Consolidated sales revenue       745 737 720
Bauxite & alumina | Operating segments | Aluminium | Intra-segment and other            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       7 27 20
Consolidated sales revenue       722 825 861
Profit before taxation       31 10 7
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       21 7 5
Bauxite | Restatement Adjustment For Internal Shipping            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Consolidated sales revenue         31 40
Profit before taxation         76 62
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto         57 54
Bauxite | Operating segments | Aluminium            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       2,593 2,597 2,494
Consolidated sales revenue       2,302 2,490 2,364
Profit before taxation       943 1,045 852
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       434 498 466
Alumina | Restatement Adjustment For Internal Shipping            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Consolidated sales revenue         63 83
Profit before taxation         157 128
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto         117 111
Alumina | Operating segments | Aluminium            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       2,294 2,009 2,721
Consolidated sales revenue       2,233 2,720 3,423
Profit before taxation       262 567 808
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       $ 92 $ 247 390
Hope Downs Joint Venture            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture       50.00%    
Robe River            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       65.00%    
Proportion of net beneficial interest       53.00%    
Non-controlling interest (%)       12.00%    
Freeport-McMoRan Inc [Member]            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Percentage of material mined         40.00%  
Diavik            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         60.00%  
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture       60.00%    
Hail Creek            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed   82.00%        
Hail Creek | Australia            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proceeds from disposal of ownership in joint venture   $ 1,700        
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture   80.00%        
Kestrel Underground Coal Mine | Australia            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proceeds from disposal of ownership in joint venture   $ 2,250        
Winchester South            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Proportion of ownership interest in joint venture     75.00%      
Proceeds from disposal of ownership in joint venture     $ 200      
Valeria            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership interest in joint venture disposed   71.20%        
30 Percent [Member] | Robe River            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Net beneficial interest held percentage       30.00%    
35 Percent [Member] | Robe River            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Net beneficial interest held percentage as owned subsidiary       60.00%    
Hamersley Iron Pty Limited            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       100.00%    
Hamersley Iron Pty Limited | Ordinary            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       100.00%    
Oyu Tolgoi | Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Percentage of share class held in subsidiaries         50.80%  
Oyu Tolgoi | Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd | Oyo Tolgoi Copper-Gold Mine            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Percentage of share class held in subsidiaries         66.00%  
Argyle Diamonds Limited            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         100.00%  
Argyle Diamonds Limited | Ordinary            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       100.00%    
Rio Tinto Coal Australia | Operating segments | Energy & Minerals            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Operating assets       $ 0 $ 0 (837)
Consolidated sales revenue       0 0 989
Profit before taxation       0 0 893
Profit/(loss) after tax – attributable to owners of Rio Tinto       $ 0 $ 0 $ 591
Rio Tinto Fer et Titane Inc.            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         100.00%  
QIT Madagascar Minerals SA            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         80.00%  
Richards Bay Minerals            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         74.00%  
Energy Resources of Australia Ltd | Ordinary            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       86.33% 68.60%  
Non-controlling interest (%)       13.67%    
Rossing Uranium Limited            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary 68.62%          
Simfer Jersey Limited | Ordinary            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       53.00% 53.00%  
Non-controlling interest (%)       47.00%    
Simfer S.A.            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary       85.00% 85.00%  
Non-controlling interest (%)         45.05%  
Gove Alumina Refinery and Rio Tinto Marine [Member]            
Disclosure of operating segments [Line Items]            
Ownership percentage in subsidiary         100.00%