| € million | 
 | Note | 
 | Dec. 31, 2021 | 
 | Dec. 31, 2020 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-current assets | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | ||||
| Goodwill | 
 | 
 | 17,004 | 
 | 15,959 | |||||
| Other intangible assets | 
 | 
 | 7,612 | 
 | 7,653 | |||||
| Property, plant and equipment | 
 | 
 | 7,217 | 
 | 6,421 | |||||
| Investments accounted for using the equity method | 
 | 
 | 
 | 3 | 
 | 2 | ||||
| Non-current receivables | 
 | 
 | 25 | 
 | 25 | |||||
| Other non-current financial assets | 
 | 
 | 911 | 
 | 822 | |||||
| Other non-current non-financial assets | 
 | 
 | 95 | 
 | 81 | |||||
| Non-current income tax receivables | 
 | 
 | 10 | 
 | 10 | |||||
| Deferred tax assets | 
 | 
 | 1,502 | 
 | 1,543 | |||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 34,380 | 
 | 32,516 | ||||
| Current assets | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | ||||
| Inventories | 
 | 
 | 3,900 | 
 | 3,294 | |||||
| Trade and other current receivables | 
 | 
 | 3,646 | 
 | 3,221 | |||||
| Contract assets | 
 | 
 | 207 | 
 | 169 | |||||
| Other current financial assets | 
 | 
 | 174 | 
 | 125 | |||||
| Other current non-financial assets | 
 | 
 | 663 | 
 | 597 | |||||
| Current income tax receivables | 
 | 
 | 492 | 
 | 520 | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 
 | 
 | 1,899 | 
 | 1,355 | |||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 10,982 | 
 | 9,280 | ||||
| Total assets | 
 | 
 | 
 | 45,362 | 
 | 41,796 | ||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | ||||
| Total equity | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | |||||
| Equity capital | 
 | 
 | 
 | 565 | 
 | 565 | ||||
| Capital reserves | 
 | 
 | 
 | 3,814 | 
 | 3,814 | ||||
| Retained earnings | 
 | 
 | 
 | 15,134 | 
 | 12,378 | ||||
| Gains/losses recognized in equity | 
 | 
 | 
 | 1,824 | 
 | 189 | ||||
| Equity attributable to shareholders of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany | 
 | 
 | 
 | 21,338 | 
 | 16,946 | ||||
| Non-controlling interests | 
 | 
 | 
 | 78 | 
 | 71 | ||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 21,416 | 
 | 17,017 | ||||
| Non-current liabilities | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | ||||
| Non-current provisions for employee benefits | 
 | 
 | 3,402 | 
 | 3,880 | |||||
| Other non-current provisions | 
 | 
 | 269 | 
 | 281 | |||||
| Non-current financial debt | 
 | 
 | 8,270 | 
 | 9,785 | |||||
| Other non-current financial liabilities | 
 | 
 | 106 | 
 | 62 | |||||
| Other non-current non-financial liabilities | 
 | 
 | 15 | 
 | 55 | |||||
| Non-current income tax liabilities | 
 | 
 | 42 | 
 | 45 | |||||
| Deferred tax liabilities | 
 | 
 | 1,411 | 
 | 1,441 | |||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 13,515 | 
 | 15,548 | ||||
| Current liabilities | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | ||||
| Current provisions for employee benefits | 
 | 
 | 224 | 
 | 152 | |||||
| Other current provisions | 
 | 
 | 377 | 
 | 461 | |||||
| Current financial debt | 
 | 
 | 2,531 | 
 | 2,357 | |||||
| Other current financial liabilities | 
 | 
 | 1,192 | 
 | 1,008 | |||||
| Trade and other current payables | 
 | 
 | 2,380 | 
 | 1,768 | |||||
| Refund liabilities | 
 | 
 | 839 | 
 | 666 | |||||
| Current income tax liabilities | 
 | 
 | 1,421 | 
 | 1,460 | |||||
| Other current non-financial liabilities | 
 | 
 | 1,468 | 
 | 1,360 | |||||
| 
 | 
 | 
 | 
 | 10,432 | 
 | 9,231 | ||||
| Total equity and liabilities | 
 | 
 | 
 | 45,362 | 
 | 41,796 | ||||
| 
 | ||||||||||