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Property, plant and equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017 | Jan. 01, 2019
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance | [1],[2] | $ 2,800 |  |  |  |  |
Depreciation charge |  | (267) |  | $ (239) |  | $ (215) |
Impairment charge |  | (8) |  | (2) |  | 0 |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance | [1],[2] | 3,113 |  | 2,800 |  |  |
Commitments for purchases of property, plant & equipment |  | 212 |  | 93 |  |  |
Right-of-use assets |  | 324 | [1],[2] | 79 | [1],[2] |  | $ 279
Capitalized borrowing costs |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |
Gross carrying amount [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 4,890 |  | 4,448 |  |  |
Additions |  | 607 |  | 524 |  |  |
Impact of business combinations |  | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | (179) |  | (87) |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 35 |  | 163 |  |  |
Reclassification to right-of-use assets |  |  |  | (86) |  |  |
Reclassifications for assets placed in service |  | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Other reclassifications |  | (27) |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  | (5) |  | (73) |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 5,322 |  | 4,890 |  | 4,448 |
Gross carrying amount [member] | Changes in net current assets and other operating cash flow items [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Additions |  | 56 |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated depreciation and amortisation [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | (2,090) |  | (1,888) |  |  |
Depreciation charge |  | (267) |  | (239) |  |  |
Impairment charge |  | (8) |  | (2) |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | 165 |  | 87 |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 17 |  | 91 |  |  |
Reclassification to right-of-use assets |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |
Other reclassifications |  | 7 |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  | 1 |  | 36 |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | (2,209) |  | (2,090) |  | (1,888) |
Land [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 53 |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 33 |  | 53 |  |  |
Land [member] | Gross carrying amount [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 60 |  | 53 |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |
Other reclassifications |  | (27) |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  |  |  | (3) |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 33 |  | 60 |  | 53 |
Land [member] | Accumulated depreciation and amortisation [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | (7) |  | (3) |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |
Other reclassifications |  | 7 |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 0 |  | (7) |  | (3) |
Buildings [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 969 |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 1,010 |  | 969 |  |  |
Buildings [member] | Gross carrying amount [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 1,527 |  | 1,386 |  |  |
Additions |  | 11 |  | 4 |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | (17) |  | (16) |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 4 |  | 252 |  |  |
Reclassification to right-of-use assets |  |  |  | (86) |  |  |
Reclassifications for assets placed in service |  | 104 |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  | (1) |  | (13) |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 1,628 |  | 1,527 |  | 1,386 |
Buildings [member] | Accumulated depreciation and amortisation [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | (558) |  | (447) |  |  |
Depreciation charge |  | (73) |  | (70) |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | 14 |  | 15 |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 2 |  | 69 |  |  |
Reclassification to right-of-use assets |  |  |  | 7 |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  | 1 |  | 6 |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | (618) |  | (558) |  | (447) |
Construction in progress [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 650 |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 747 |  | 650 |  |  |
Construction in progress [member] | Gross carrying amount [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 657 |  | 503 |  |  |
Additions |  | 514 |  | 468 |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | (1) |  |  |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 2 |  | (302) |  |  |
Reclassifications for assets placed in service |  | (417) |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  |  |  | (12) |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 755 |  | 657 |  | 503 |
Construction in progress [member] | Accumulated depreciation and amortisation [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | (7) |  |  |  |  |
Impairment charge |  | (1) |  | (1) |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  |  |  | 6 |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | (8) |  | (7) |  |  |
Machinery and other equipment [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 1,128 |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 1,323 |  | 1,128 |  |  |
Machinery and other equipment [member] | Gross carrying amount [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | 2,646 |  | 2,506 |  |  |
Additions |  | 82 |  | 52 |  |  |
Impact of business combinations |  | 1 |  | 1 |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | (161) |  | (71) |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 29 |  | 203 |  |  |
Reclassifications for assets placed in service |  | 313 |  |  |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  | (4) |  | (45) |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | 2,906 |  | 2,646 |  | 2,506 |
Machinery and other equipment [member] | Accumulated depreciation and amortisation [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reconciliation of changes in property, plant and equipment [abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, beginning balance |  | (1,518) |  | (1,438) |  |  |
Depreciation charge |  | (194) |  | (169) |  |  |
Impairment charge |  | (7) |  | (1) |  |  |
Disposals and derecognitions |  | 151 |  | 72 |  |  |
Transfers with former parent |  | 15 |  | 12 |  |  |
Currency translation effects |  |  |  | 30 |  |  |
Property, plant and equipment, ending balance |  | $ (1,583) |  | $ (1,518) |  | $ (1,438) |
[1] | Alcon adopted IFRS 16, Leases as of January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective approach as described in Notes 3 and 16 to these Consolidated Financial Statements. Under the modified retrospective approach, comparative information was not restated.
[2] | The December 31, 2018 balances previously reported for a finance lease liability and corresponding asset of $89 million and $79 million, respectively, have been reclassified from "Non-current financial debts" and "Property, Plant, & Equipment" to "Non-current lease liabilities" and "Right-of-use assets", respectively.

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- Definition The amount of impairment loss recognised in profit or loss for property, plant and equipment. [Refer: Impairment loss recognised in profit or loss; Property, plant and equipment] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 16 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 73 -Subparagraph e -Clause v -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=16&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_73_e_v&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2019-01-01 -Paragraph 98 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=1&code=ifrs-tx-2019-en-r&anchor=para_98_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2019-03-27 + Details
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