The number of interest rate swap contracts entered into during the period after a debt issuance.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_NumberOfInterestRateSwapContractsEnteredInPeriod
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466505&loc=SL123495323-112611

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124435984&loc=d3e28551-108399

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114775985&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124429444&loc=SL124452920-239629

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69C
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495737-112612

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 69B
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123466577&loc=SL123495735-112612

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payment on derivative.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1B
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5580258-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=SL5579245-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativesFairValueLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_EurobondDue2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_August2015MediumTermNotesIssuedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRateMediumTermNoteDue2018Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRateMediumTermNoteDue2020Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRateMediumTermNoteDue2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FloatingRateRegisteredNoteDue2049Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FloatingRateRegisteredNoteDue2050Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableRateAxis=us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRateRegisteredNoteDue2049Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRateRegisteredNoteDue2050Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=mmm_FixedRate30YearDebentureDue2028Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Derivatives - Fair Value Hedge (Details)	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
Derivatives - Fair Value Hedge (Details)	Mar. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($) interestRateSwap	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2013 EUR (€)
Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Derivative, notional amount					$ 800,000,000
Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Number of interest rate swap contracts entered in period \| interestRateSwap		2
Eurobond Due 2021 \| Fair value hedges
Derivatives
Principal amount \| €								€ 600,000,000
Eurobond Due 2021 \| Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Derivative, notional amount \| €								€ 300,000,000
August 2015 medium term notes issued \| Fair value hedges
Derivatives
Principal amount		$ 1,500,000,000
Fixed rate medium term note due 2019 \| Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Derivative, notional amount		$ 450,000,000
Term of debt instrument (in years)		3 years
Fixed rate medium term note due 2018 \| Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Derivative, notional amount		$ 300,000,000	$ 200,000,000
Term of debt instrument (in years)		5 years
Fixed rate medium term note due 2021 \| Fair value hedges
Derivatives
Principal amount						$ 400,000,000	$ 400,000,000
Fixed rate medium term note due 2021 \| Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Derivative, notional amount							$ 200,000,000
Floating rate registered note due 2049
Derivatives
Principal amount					500,000,000
Floating rate registered note due 2050 \| London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Derivatives
Principal amount					300,000,000
Fixed rate registered note due 2049
Derivatives
Principal amount				$ 500,000,000	1,000,000,000
Fixed rate registered note due 2050
Derivatives
Principal amount	$ 650,000,000			350,000,000	$ 650,000,000
Term of debt instrument (in years)	30 years
Fixed rate 30-year debenture due 2028
Derivatives
Principal amount				$ 220,000,000
Fixed rate 30-year debenture due 2028 \| Fair value hedges
Derivatives
Principal amount			$ 220,000,000
Fixed rate 30-year debenture due 2028 \| Fair value hedges \| Interest rate contracts
Derivatives
Term of debt instrument (in years)			30 years