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Equity and Noncontrolling Interests - Narrative (Details) € / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	11 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			13 Months Ended	14 Months Ended	23 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 shares	Dec. 31, 2019 EUR (€) € / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) shares	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 EUR (€) € / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2019 EUR (€) € / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) shares	Jan. 25, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 EUR (€) € / shares shares	Jan. 22, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 10, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 € / shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common stock, shares authorized, value | €		€ 1,825,000				€ 1,825,000	€ 1,825,000			€ 1,825,000
Ordinary shares, authorized (in shares) | shares		1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000			1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000		1,750,000,000
Ordinary shares, par value (eur per share) | € / shares		€ 0.001				€ 0.001	€ 0.001			€ 0.001			€ 0.001
Ordinary shares, issued (in shares) | shares		552,012,862	552,012,862			552,012,862	552,012,862	552,012,862		552,012,862
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares) | shares		534,380,544	523,294,529			534,380,544	534,380,544	523,294,529		523,294,529
Common stock shares issued (in shares) | shares							958,293,000
Additional common stock authorized for repurchase | $											$ 6,000	$ 1,000
Repurchased (in shares) | shares	4,068,642	12,016,083				6,385,887		24,310,534
Additions (reductions) to noncontrolling interests | $			$ (193)	$ (2,921)	$ (313)
Dividends declared | $			161	132	$ 49
Decrease from redemptions or purchase of interests | $			100
Afrox
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Additions (reductions) to noncontrolling interests | $			$ (196)
Linde AG
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Noncontrolling interest, ownership percentage by noncontrolling owners	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%		8.00%	8.00%	8.00%	8.00%		8.00%
Subsequent Event
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Additional common stock authorized for repurchase | $									$ 5,000
Noncontrolling Interests
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Additions (reductions) to noncontrolling interests | $			$ (193)	(2,921)	$ (186)
Dividends declared | $			161	$ 132	$ 49
Dividends Payable | $			$ 35					$ 35
Ordinary shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, authorized (in shares) | shares		1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000			1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000	1,750,000,000		1,750,000,000
A Ordinary Shares
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, authorized (in shares) | shares		25,000	25,000			25,000	25,000	25,000		25,000
Ordinary shares, par value (eur per share) | € / shares		€ 1.00				€ 1.00	€ 1.00			€ 1.00
Deferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, authorized (in shares) | shares		25,000	25,000			25,000	25,000	25,000		25,000
Ordinary shares, par value (eur per share) | € / shares		€ 1.00				€ 1.00	€ 1.00			€ 1.00
Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, authorized (in shares) | shares		25,000,000	25,000,000			25,000,000	25,000,000	25,000,000		25,000,000
Ordinary shares, par value (eur per share) | € / shares		€ 0.001				€ 0.001	€ 0.001			€ 0.001

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