Postretirement Benefit Plans - Summary of PME Multi-Employer Plan (Detail) - PME Multi-Employer Plan [Member] $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) Employees	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Employees	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Employees
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
NXP's contributions to the plan	$ 36	$ 37	$ 48
(including employees' contributions)	$ 4	$ 4	$ 4
Average number of NXP's active employees participating in the plan \| Employees	2,415	2,668	2,881

Amount of contributions made to multiemployer plans by the employer. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450702-114947

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450691-114947

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanPeriodContributions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration