| at 31 December 2015 and 2014 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | Other reserves | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||||
| 
 | Total share capital | Treasury shares (par value) | Share premium reserves | Cumulative translation reserves | Total other reserves | Retained earnings | Total attributable to equity holders | Non- | Total equity | |||||||||||
| 
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance 31 December 2013 | 1 228 | –49 | 1 692 | –811 | 881 | 654 | 2 714 | 66 | 2 780 | |||||||||||
| Net income | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 152 | 152 | 65 | 217 | |||||||||||
| Net investment hedge | 
 | 
 | 
 | 20 | 20 | 
 | 20 | 
 | 20 | |||||||||||
| Remeasurements: | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||
| Actuarial gain/loss on retirement benefit obligation (see note 17) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | –443 | –443 | 
 | –443 | |||||||||||
| Return on retirement benefit plan assets, excluding amount included in interest expense (see note 17) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 118 | 118 | 
 | 118 | |||||||||||
| Deferred tax on remeasurements (see note 9) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 60 | 60 | 
 | 60 | |||||||||||
| Share of other comprehensive income of associates and joint ventures (see note 7) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | –9 | –9 | 
 | –9 | |||||||||||
| Effect of the reclassification of foreign exchange differences on previously held net investments in foreign entities | 
 | 
 | 
 | 3 | 3 | 
 | 3 | 
 | 3 | |||||||||||
| Currency translation differences | 
 | 
 | 
 | 63 | 63 | 
 | 63 | 9 | 72 | |||||||||||
| Total comprehensive income for the period | – | – | – | 86 | 86 | –122 | –36 | 74 | 38 | |||||||||||
| Distributions | 
 | 
 | –115 | 
 | –115 | 
 | –115 | 
 | –115 | |||||||||||
| Dividends to non-controlling interests | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 
 | – | –24 | –24 | |||||||||||
| Disposal of non-controlling interests (see note 15) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 17 | 17 | 8 | 25 | |||||||||||
| Employee share & option scheme: | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||
| Effect of employee services | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 17 | 17 | 
 | 17 | |||||||||||
| Treasury share transactions | 
 | 4 | 
 | 
 | – | 8 | 12 | 
 | 12 | |||||||||||
| Balance 31 December 2014 | 1 228 | –45 | 1 577 | –725 | 852 | 574 | 2 609 | 124 | 2 733 | |||||||||||
| Net income | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 229 | 229 | 10 | 239 | |||||||||||
| Net investment hedge (see note 28) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 66 | 66 | 
 | 66 | 
 | 66 | |||||||||||
| Remeasurements: | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||
| Actuarial gain/loss on retirement benefit obligation (see note 17) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 39 | 39 | 
 | 39 | |||||||||||
| Return on retirement benefit plan assets, excluding amount included in interest expense (see note 17) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | –32 | –32 | 
 | –32 | |||||||||||
| Deferred tax on remeasurements (see note 9) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | –6 | –6 | 
 | –6 | |||||||||||
| Currency translation differences | 
 | 
 | 
 | –405 | –405 | 
 | –405 | 1 | –404 | |||||||||||
| Share of other comprehensive income of associates and joint ventures (see note 7) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 1 | 1 | 
 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Effect of the reclassification of foreign exchange differences on previously held net investments in foreign entities | 
 | 
 | 
 | –2 | –2 | 
 | –2 | 
 | –2 | |||||||||||
| Total comprehensive income for the period | – | – | – | –341 | –341 | 231 | –110 | 11 | –99 | |||||||||||
| Distributions | 
 | 
 | –129 | 
 | –129 | 
 | –129 | 
 | –129 | |||||||||||
| Dividends to non-controlling interests | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 
 | – | –37 | –37 | |||||||||||
| Share buyback of non-controlling interests by Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd (see note 15) | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 
 | – | –21 | –21 | |||||||||||
| Employee share & option scheme: | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||||||||
| Effect of employee services | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | – | 13 | 13 | 
 | 13 | |||||||||||
| Treasury share transactions | 
 | 11 | 
 | 
 | – | 23 | 34 | 
 | 34 | |||||||||||
| Balance 31 December 2015 | 1 228 | –34 | 1 448 | –1 066 | 382 | 841 | 2 417 | 77 | 2 494 | |||||||||||
