Document And Entity Information Statistical Measurement [Axis] Note To Financial Statement Details Textual Document Fiscal Period Focus EBP, Basis of Accounting [Policy Text Block] Significant Accounting Policies Document Fiscal Year Focus Note 1 - Description of Plan us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccountReallocatedToParticipant EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account, Reallocated to Participant Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements Schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) Amendment Flag Note 1 - Description of Plan - Vesting Schedule (Details) Note 3 - Fair Value Measurements - Assets at Fair Value (Details) us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestmentPartyInInterest EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Party-in-Interest [true false] Schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) (Details) Schedule H, Line 4i - Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year) 2 (Details) Interest Minimum [Member] Notes To Financial Statements Notes To Financial Statements [Abstract] dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate Document Period End Date Statistical Measurement [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseForContribution EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Increase from Contribution Maximum [Member] Transfer in (Note 1) EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Transfer to (from) Plan Legal Entity [Axis] nvo_EBPContributionsReceivable EBP, Receivable Amount of contribution receivable in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). EBP, Schedule of Asset Held for Investment [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantLoanMaturityDate EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, Maturity Date us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanScheduleOfDelinquentParticipantContributionTransferredLateToPlan EBP, Schedule of Delinquent Participant Contribution, Transferred Late to Plan Notes receivable from participants EBP, Note Receivable from Participant nvo_EBPVestingPercentageInYearThreeOfService EBP, Vesting Percentage in Year Three of Service The percent vesting in year three of the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). dei_EntityTaxIdentificationNumber Entity Tax Identification Number nvo_EBPMinimumAgeOfParticipantsRequiredToReceivePreretirementDistributions EBP, Minimum Age of Participants Required to Receive Pre-retirement Distributions The minimum age of the participant required to receive pre-retirement distributions in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPVestingPercentageInYearOneOfService EBP, Vesting Percentage in Year One of Service The percent vesting in year one of the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Text Block] Entity [Domain] Interest income on notes receivable from participants nvo_EBPVestingPercentageInYearTwoOfService EBP, Vesting Percentage in Year Two of Service The percent vesting in year two of the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Entity Central Index Key Net appreciation in fair value of investments nvo_EBPMaximumTermRequiredForParticipantToChangeDeferralRate EBP, Maximum Term Required for Participant to Change Deferral Rate (Day) The maximum term required for a participant to change their deferral rate in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). dei_EntityRegistrantName Entity Registrant Name nvo_EBPVestingPercentageInLessThanOneYearOfService EBP, Vesting Percentage in Less Than One Year of Service The percent vesting in less than one year of the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitDecreaseForFeeExpense EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Decrease for Fee Expense Amount of decrease in net asset available for benefit from fee expense incurred by employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Entity Current Reporting Status EBP, Description of Plan [Text Block] Mutual Funds Common Stock and Money Market Funds [Member] Represents Mutual Funds Common Stock and Money Market Funds. us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestment EBP, Asset Held for Investment EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest Transactions [Table] Current Fiscal Year End Date us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxDeterminationLetterDate EBP, Tax Determination Letter, Date us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestmentParticipantLoanAfterDeemedDistribution EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, after Deemed Distribution EBP, Fair Value, Investment, NAV, Unfunded Commitment Fair Value Measured at Net Asset Value Per Share [Member] Entity Shell Company Common Collective Trust [Member] Entity Emerging Growth Company EBP, Fair Value, Investment, NAV, Redemption Other Restriction, Description nvo_EBPChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitDecreaseForAdvisoryAndManagedServiceExpense EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Decrease for Advisory and Managed Service Expense Amount of decrease in net asset available for benefit from advisory and managed service expense incurred by employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Entity Small Business Novo Nordisk AS [Member] Represents Novo Nordisk AS. Investments [Domain] EBP, Employer, Common Stock [Member] Benefits paid to participants Accounting Policies [Abstract] Participant rollovers Employer EBP, Risk and Uncertainty [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseDecreaseForIncomeLossOnInvestment EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Increase (Decrease) from Income (Loss) on Investment Valuation Approach and Technique [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxQualificationStatusExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Tax Qualification Status [Extensible Enumeration] Valuation, Market Approach [Member] us-gaap-ebp_EbpPlanName EBP, Plan Name Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract] EBP, Tax Status [Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccountDecreaseForAdministrativeExpense EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account, Decrease from Administrative Expense us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccount EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentValuationTechniqueExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Investment, Valuation Technique [Extensible Enumeration] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestmentInvestmentExcludingPlanInterestInMasterTrustCurrentValue EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Investment, Excluding Plan Interest in Master Trust, Current Value Equity Components [Axis] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentFairValue Investment, fair value EBP, Other Investment [Member] Class of Stock [Axis] Equity Component [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EbpFairValueInvestmentNavRedemptionNoticePeriod EBP, Fair Value, Investment, NAV, Redemption, Notice Period (Day) us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanErisaMinimumFundingRequirement EBP, ERISA, Minimum Funding Requirement [true false] Dividends Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] EBP, Subsequent Event [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitIncreaseDecrease Net increase us-gaap-ebp_EbpFairValueInvestmentNavRedemptionRestrictionPeriodInEffect EBP, Fair Value, Investment, NAV, Redemption Restriction, Period in Effect (Day) Deductions Additions us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantLoanInterestRate EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, Interest Rate us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanForfeitedNonvestedAccountDecreaseForEmployerContribution EBP, Forfeited Nonvested Account, Decrease from Employer Contribution EBP, Participant-Directed [Member] Contributions Investment income Investments, at fair value Investment, fair value Mutual funds Administrative expenses Investment, Identifier [Axis] EBP, Accounting Policy [Table] Contributions receivable EBP, Description of Plan [Table] Dividend withholding tax receivable EBP, Dividend Withholding Tax Receivable Amount of receivable for employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)), classified as dividend withholding tax. EBP 06-1061602 001 [Member] EBP 06-1061602 001 Statement [Table] EBP, Reconciliation of Financial Statement to Form 5500 [Table] EBP, Tax Status [Table] nvo_EBPMinimumServicePeriodToBeEligibleForParticipation EBP, Minimum Service Period to be Eligible for Participation (Year) The minimum service period an employee must complete to participate in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPParticipantContributionPosttaxMaximumAnnualCompensationToTotalCompensationPercentage EBP, Participant Contribution, Post-tax, Maximum Annual Compensation to Total Compensation, Percentage Percentage of maximum post-tax annual compensation that participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)), is permitted to contribute to total pretax annual compensation. Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanPlanNumber EBP, Plan Number nvo_EBPMaximumAgeForSuperMakeupContributions EBP, Maximum Age for Super Make-up Contributions The maximum age a participant may be to make super make-up contributions to the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). EBP, Risk and Uncertainty [Text Block] nvo_EBPParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRateIncreaseEachYear EBP, Participant Contribution, Automatic, Deferral Rate, Increase Each Year Percentage increase of eligible compensation contributed for participant automatically enrolled in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPMaximumSuperMakeupContribution EBP, Maximum Super Make-up Contribution The maximum amount of super make-up contributions a participant may make in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] nvo_EBPMinimumAgeForSuperMakeupContributions EBP, Minimum Age for Super Make-up Contributions The minimum age an employee must be to make super make-up contributions in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPMaximumMakeupContribution EBP, Maximum Make-up Contribution The maximum amount of make-up contributions that may be made in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPMinimumAgeOfParticipantRequiredToMakeMakeupContribution EBP, Minimum Age of Participant Required to Make Make-up Contribution The minimum age a participant must be to make make-up contributions to the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentTypeExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Investment, Current Value, Type [Extensible Enumeration] EBP, Schedule of Vesting [Table Text Block] Tabular disclosure of the vesting schedule in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPParticipantContributionMaximumContribution EBP, Participant Contribution, Maximum Contribution Percentage of maximum contribution to employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPEmployerContributionBasicParticipantCompensationMatchedPercentage EBP, Employer Contribution, Basic, Participant Compensation Matched, Percentage Percentage of participant compensation eligible for employer matching contribution for participant in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRateMinimumPercentageDeferredToTriggerYearlyIncrease EBP, Participant Contribution, Automatic, Deferral Rate, Minimum Percentage Deferred to Trigger Yearly Increase The minimum percentage of eligible compensation contributed for participant automatically enrolled in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) that will trigger a yearly increase in the percent contributed. nvo_EBPParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRatePercentToTriggerAnnualReenrollment EBP, Participant Contribution, Automatic, Deferral Rate, Percent to Trigger Annual Re-enrollment The percentage of eligible compensation contributed for participant automatically enrolled in employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)) that will trigger annual re-enrollment in the plan. EBP, Mutual Fund Fees [Text Block] Disclosure of mutual fund fees. EBP, Participant-Directed and Nonparticipant-Directed Status [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionAutomaticDeferralRate EBP, Participant Contribution, Automatic, Deferral Rate nvo_EBPPercentVestingUponTermination EBP, Percent Vesting Upon Termination The percent of that will vest upon termination of the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Investment Type [Axis] nvo_EBPERISABalance EBP, ERISA, Balance The balance of ERISA accounts in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP). nvo_EBPERISAAmountCreditedAsExcess EBP, ERISA, Amount Credited as Excess The amount credited as an excess to ERISA accounts in the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Mutual Fund [Member] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionMatchingPercentage EBP, Employer Contribution, Matching Percentage nvo_EBPAssetHeldForInvestmentParticipantLoanLoanTerm EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Participant Loan, Loan Term (Year) Term on participant loan in schedule of asset held for investment of employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). Loan for Primary Residence [Member] Loan for Primary Residence EBP, Schedule of Asset Held for Investment [Text Block] EBP, Use of Estimate [Policy Text Block] EBP, Subsequent Event [Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingAmount EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Maximum Borrowing, Amount EBP, Schedule of Assets [Text Block] Disclosure of the assets held at the end of the year. us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMinimumBorrowingAmount EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Minimum Borrowing, Amount us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionPretaxMaximumAnnualCompensationToTotalCompensationPercentage EBP, Participant Contribution, Pretax, Maximum Annual Compensation to Total Compensation, Percentage nvo_EBPTaxStatusWithholdingTaxPaid EBP, Tax Status, Withholding Tax Paid The amount of withholding tax paid for the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). nvo_EBPTaxStatusDividendWithholdTaxRefundReceived EBP, Tax Status, Dividend Withhold Tax Refund Received The dividend withholding tax refund received for the employee stock purchase, saving, or similar plan (employee benefit plan (EBP)). EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest [Domain] EBP, Employer, Common Stock Fund [Member] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentIssuerNameExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Investment, Issuer Name [Extensible Enumeration] dei_DocumentType Document Type EBP, Summary of Accounting Policy [Text Block] Document Information [Line Items] EBP, Investment [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionReceivable Employer Document Information [Table] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanParticipantContributionReceivable Participant EBP, Schedule of Delinquent Participant Contribution [Text Block] EBP, Trustee [Member] Entity Interactive Data Current Statement [Line Items] Fair Value Hierarchy and NAV [Axis] EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest [Axis] nvo_PolicyTable us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAsset Total assets EBP, Payment to Participant [Policy Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNoteReceivableFromParticipantAccountMaximumBorrowingToTotalAccountPercentage EBP, Note Receivable from Participant, Account, Maximum Borrowing, to Total Account, Percentage us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanEmployerContributionParticipantCompensationMatchedPercentage EBP, Employer Contribution, Participant Compensation Matched, Percentage Investment, Issuer Name [Domain] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanTaxDeterminationLetterObtained EBP, Tax Determination Letter, Obtained [true false] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanAssetHeldForInvestmentInvestmentExcludingPlanInterestInMasterTrustParticipationStatusExtensibleEnumeration EBP, Asset Held for Investment, Investment, Excluding Plan Interest in Master Trust, Participation Status [Extensible Enumeration] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanChangeInNetAssetAvailableForBenefitDecrease EBP, Change in Net Asset Available for Benefit, Decrease Money Market Funds [Member] EBP, Related Party and Party-in-Interest Transactions [Text Block] Assets EBP, Plan Termination [Text Block] us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanNetAssetAvailableForBenefit Net assets available for benefits Net assets available for benefits, beginning of year Net assets available for benefits, end of year EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Table Text Block] us-gaap_PolicyTextBlockAbstract Accounting Policies us-gaap-ebp_EmployeeBenefitPlanInvestmentPlanInterestInMasterTrustFairValue Investments measured at net asset value1 Participant EBP, Investment, Fair Value and NAV [Table] us-gaap_DisclosureTextBlockAbstract Notes to Financial Statements Retirement Plan Tax Status [Domain] us-gaap_TableTextBlock Notes Tables Qualified Plan [Member]