€ million  | 
            
  | 
            Note  | 
            
  | 
            2021  | 
            
  | 
            2020  | 
        
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Profit after tax  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            3,065  | 
            
  | 
            1,994  | 
        
Depreciation/amortization/impairment losses/reversals of impairment losses  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            1,762  | 
            
  | 
            1,938  | 
        
Changes in inventories  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -472  | 
            
  | 
            -85  | 
        
Changes in trade accounts receivable  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -310  | 
            
  | 
            -84  | 
        
Changes in trade accounts payable/refund liabilities  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            433  | 
            
  | 
            7  | 
        
Changes in provisions  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            196  | 
            
  | 
            -110  | 
        
Changes in other assets and liabilities  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -121  | 
            
  | 
            -123  | 
        
Neutralization of gains/losses on disposal of fixed assets and other disposals  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -24  | 
            
  | 
            -98  | 
        
Other non-cash income and expenses  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            86  | 
            
  | 
            39  | 
        
Operating Cash Flow  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            4,616  | 
            
  | 
            3,477  | 
        |
thereof: from discontinued operations  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
        
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
        
Payments for investments in intangible assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -355  | 
            
  | 
            -150  | 
        
Payments from the disposal of intangible assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            39  | 
            
  | 
            88  | 
        
Payments for investments in property, plant and equipment  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -1,066  | 
            
  | 
            -1,413  | 
        
Payments from the disposal of property, plant and equipment  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            7  | 
            
  | 
            35  | 
        
Payments for investments in financial assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -269  | 
            
  | 
            -278  | 
        
Payments for acquisitions less acquired cash and cash equivalents (net)  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -4  | 
            
  | 
            -11  | 
        
Proceeds from the disposal of other financial assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            69  | 
            
  | 
            340  | 
        
Payments for the acquisition of non-financial assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            -500  | 
        
Proceeds from the disposal of non-financial assets  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            501  | 
        
Payments from other divestments  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            1  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
        
Payments for the disposal of assets held for sale  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            -8  | 
        
Proceeds from the disposal of assets held for sale less transferred cash and cash equivalents  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            55  | 
        
Investing Cash Flow  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -1,578  | 
            
  | 
            -1,340  | 
        |
thereof: from discontinued operations  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            -8  | 
        
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
        
Dividend payments to shareholders of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -181  | 
            
  | 
            -168  | 
        
Dividend payments to non-controlling interests  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -8  | 
            
  | 
            -7  | 
        
Profit withdrawal by E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -567  | 
            
  | 
            -512  | 
        
Proceeds from new borrowings of financial debt from E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            471  | 
            
  | 
            390  | 
        
Repayment of financial debt to E. Merck KG, Darmstadt, Germany  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -393  | 
            
  | 
            -382  | 
        
Repayment of bonds  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -317  | 
            
  | 
            -2,724  | 
        
Proceeds from the issuance of bonds  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            2,486  | 
        
Payments from new borrowings of other current and non-current financial debt  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            388  | 
            
  | 
            3,561  | 
        
Repayment of other current and non-current financial debt  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -1,896  | 
            
  | 
            -4,166  | 
        
Financing Cash Flow  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            -2,504  | 
            
  | 
            -1,522  | 
        |
thereof: from discontinued operations  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
            
  | 
            –  | 
        
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
        
Changes in cash and cash equivalents  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            534  | 
            
  | 
            615  | 
        
Changes in cash and cash equivalents due to currency translation  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            9  | 
            
  | 
            -40  | 
        
Cash and cash equivalents as of January 1  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            1,355  | 
            
  | 
            781  | 
        
Cash and cash equivalents as of December 31   | 
            
  | 
            
  | 
            1,899  | 
            
  | 
            1,355  |