v2.4.1.9
Income Taxes (Composition and Deferreds) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Unremitted Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries $ 25,700,000,000us-gaap_UndistributedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries    
Current Federal Tax Expense (Benefit) 168,900,000us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit 259,100,000us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit 596,800,000us-gaap_CurrentFederalTaxExpenseBenefit
Current Foreign Tax Expense (Benefit) 406,200,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit 553,200,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit 540,600,000us-gaap_CurrentForeignTaxExpenseBenefit
Current State and Local Tax Expense (Benefit) (2,100,000)us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit 126,300,000us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit 56,200,000us-gaap_CurrentStateAndLocalTaxExpenseBenefit
Current Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Total 573,000,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 938,600,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 1,193,600,000us-gaap_CurrentIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred Federal Income Tax Expense (Benefit) (83,300,000)us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 297,000,000us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 87,000,000us-gaap_DeferredFederalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred Foreign Income Tax Expense (Benefit) 120,200,000us-gaap_DeferredForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (28,200,000)us-gaap_DeferredForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 29,900,000us-gaap_DeferredForeignIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred State and Local Income Tax Expense (Benefit) (100,000)us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit (2,900,000)us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 9,100,000us-gaap_DeferredStateAndLocalIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Total 36,800,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 265,900,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 126,000,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Income taxes 609,800,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 1,204,500,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit 1,319,600,000us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Compensation and Benefits 897,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefits 639,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseCompensationAndBenefits  
Tax Credit Carryforward, Deferred Tax Asset 279,400,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardDeferredTaxAsset 494,600,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardDeferredTaxAsset  
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Reserves 241,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsReserves 313,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsReserves  
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards 265,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards 311,700,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwards  
Deferred Tax Assets, Goodwill and Intangible Assets 473,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGoodwillAndIntangibleAssets 418,800,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGoodwillAndIntangibleAssets  
Deferred Tax Assets, Inventory 0us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory 104,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory  
Deferred Tax Asset, Fair Value Adjustments 176,000,000lly_DeferredTaxAssetFairValueAdjustments 110,000,000lly_DeferredTaxAssetFairValueAdjustments  
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Deferred Expense, Reserves and Accruals, Contingencies 68,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsContingencies 106,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxDeferredExpenseReservesAndAccrualsContingencies  
Deferred Tax Assets, Other 633,300,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther 595,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther  
Deferred Tax Assets, Gross, Total 3,035,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross 3,094,100,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross  
Deferred Tax Assets, Valuation Allowance (601,100,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance (647,100,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance  
Deferred Tax Assets, Net, Total 2,434,400,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet 2,447,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNet  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Undistributed Foreign Earnings (737,100,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings (898,300,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesUndistributedForeignEarnings  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Goodwill and Intangible Assets (582,600,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssets (598,900,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesGoodwillAndIntangibleAssets  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Prepaid Expenses (275,800,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPrepaidExpenses (446,200,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPrepaidExpenses  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Deferred Expense, Capitalized Inventory Costs (684,600,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDeferredExpenseCapitalizedInventoryCosts (685,600,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDeferredExpenseCapitalizedInventoryCosts  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Property, Plant and Equipment (424,700,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipment (379,100,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPropertyPlantAndEquipment  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Derivatives 161,500,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDerivatives 109,600,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDerivatives  
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Total 2,866,300,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities 3,117,700,000us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities  
Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities), Net, Total (431,900,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities (670,700,000)us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities  
Deferred Tax Assets, Operating Loss Carryforwards, State and Local 97,000,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOperatingLossCarryforwardsStateAndLocal    
Deferred Tax Assets, Tax Credit Carryforwards, Other 8,900,000us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsTaxCreditCarryforwardsOther    
Carryforward [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards 493,900,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_CarryforwardMember
   
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 459,900,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_CarryforwardMember
   
Expiration 5 years [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards 74,600,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_Expirationwithin5yearsMember
   
Expiration 5-20 years [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards 366,100,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_Expiration5to15YearsMember
   
Expiration 5-20 years, Minimum [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates Dec. 31, 2019    
Expiration 5-20 years, Maximum [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards, Expiration Dates Dec. 31, 2029    
Expiration 10-20 years [Member]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 180,500,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_Expiration2015to2021Member
   
Expiration 10-20 years, Maximum [Member]      
Other Tax Carryforward, Expiration Dates Dec. 31, 2021    
No Expiration [Member]      
Operating Loss Carryforwards 53,200,000us-gaap_OperatingLossCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_NoExpirationMember
   
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) [Member] | Designated Unusable [Member]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 80,300,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_DesignatedUnusableMember
   
State and Local Jurisdiction [Member] | Designated Unusable [Member]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount 94,700,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_DesignatedUnusableMember
   
Foreign Tax Authority [Member] | Designated Unusable [Member]      
Tax Credit Carryforward, Amount $ 104,400,000us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAmount
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= lly_DesignatedUnusableMember