XML 166 R83.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.4

Segmentation of key figures - Net sales by region (Details 7) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 48,659 | $ 47,445 | $ 44,751
Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 6.00% |
Europe [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 18,715 | $ 17,933 | 17,259
Europe [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 4.00% | 4.00% |
US |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 16,484 | $ 16,280 | 14,618
US | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 1.00% | 11.00% |
Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 10,219 | $ 9,799 | 9,460
Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 4.00% | 4.00% |
Canada and Latin America [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 3,241 | $ 3,433 | 3,414
Canada and Latin America [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (6.00%) | 1.00% |
Established Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 36,732 | $ 35,684 | 33,491
Established Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 7.00% |
Emerging Growth Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 11,927 | $ 11,761 | 11,260
Emerging Growth Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 1.00% | 4.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 8.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Europe [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 13,484 | $ 12,818 | 12,296
Innovative Medicines | Europe [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 5.00% | 4.00% |
Innovative Medicines | US |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 14,342 | $ 13,789 | 11,864
Innovative Medicines | US | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 4.00% | 16.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 8,718 | $ 8,458 | 8,097
Innovative Medicines | Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 4.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Canada and Latin America [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 2,469 | $ 2,649 | 2,635
Innovative Medicines | Canada and Latin America [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (7.00%) | 1.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Established Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 29,643 | $ 28,573 | 26,258
Innovative Medicines | Established Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 4.00% | 9.00% |
Innovative Medicines | Emerging Growth Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 9,370 | $ 9,141 | 8,634
Innovative Medicines | Emerging Growth Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 6.00% |
Sandoz |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (1.00%) | (1.00%) |
Sandoz | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (1.00%) | (1.00%) |
Sandoz | Europe [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 5,231 | $ 5,115 | 4,963
Sandoz | Europe [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 2.00% | 3.00% |
Sandoz | US |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 2,142 | $ 2,491 | 2,754
Sandoz | US | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (14.00%) | (10.00%) |
Sandoz | Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 1,501 | $ 1,341 | 1,363
Sandoz | Asia/Africa/Australasia [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 12.00% | (2.00%) |
Sandoz | Canada and Latin America [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 772 | $ 784 | 779
Sandoz | Canada and Latin America [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (2.00%) | 1.00% |
Sandoz | Established Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 7,089 | $ 7,111 | 7,233
Sandoz | Established Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | 0.00% | (2.00%) |
Sandoz | Emerging Growth Markets [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 2,557 | $ 2,620 | 2,626
Sandoz | Emerging Growth Markets [member] | Change to prior year-end [member] |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales, change in % | (2.00%) | 0.00% |
Operating segments [member] | Innovative Medicines |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 39,013 | $ 37,714 | 34,892
Net sales, change in % | 3.00% | 8.00% |
Operating segments [member] | Sandoz |  |  |
Disclosure of operating segments [line items] |  |  |
Net sales to third parties from continuing operations | $ 9,646 | $ 9,731 | $ 9,859

X
- Definition Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DisclosureOfOperatingSegmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_RevenueFromSaleOfGoodsThirdParties
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- References No definition available. + Details
Name: | nvs_RevenueFromSaleOfGoodsThirdPartiesChangeInPercent
Namespace Prefix: | nvs_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | nvs_ChangeOverPeriodAxis=nvs_PoPYEChangeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=srt_EuropeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=nvs_AsiaAfricaAustralasiaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=nvs_CanadaAndLatinAmericaMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=nvs_EstablishedMarketsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_GeographicalAreasAxis=nvs_EmergingGrowthMarketsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SegmentsAxis=nvs_InnovativeMedicinesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SegmentsAxis=nvs_SandozMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SegmentConsolidationItemsAxis=ifrs-full_OperatingSegmentsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |