485BPOS

1933 Act File No.	33-6901
1940 Act File No.	811-4743

Form N-1A

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
	Pre-Effective Amendment No.
	Post-Effective Amendment No.	51
and/or
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940
	Amendment No.	48

FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Federated Investors Funds

4000 Ericsson Drive

Warrendale, PA 15086-7561

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(412) 288-1900

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

John W. McGonigle, Esquire

Federated Investors Tower

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
X	immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
	on	pursuant to paragraph (b)
	60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
	on	pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
	75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
	on	pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485
If appropriate, check the following box:
	This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant, FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC., certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Amendment to its Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Pittsburgh and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on the 13^th day of February, 2013

FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC.

BY: /s/ Todd P. Zerega

Todd P. Zerega, Assistant Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to its Registration Statement has been signed below by the following person in the capacity and on the date indicated:

NAME	TITLE	DATE
BY: /s/ Todd P. Zerega Todd P. Zerega, Assistant Secretary	Attorney In Fact For the Persons Listed Below	February 13 ,2013
John F. Donahue *	Director
Richard B. Fisher*	Vice Chairman
J. Christopher Donahue *	President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
Richard A. Novak*	Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)
John F. Cunningham*	Director
Maureen Lally-Green*	Director
Peter E. Madden*	Director
Thomas O’Neill*	Director
John S. Walsh*	Director
*By Power of Attorney

Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc.

Post-Effective Amendment No. 51

This Post-Effective Amendment is filed for the sole purpose of submitting the XBRL Interactive Data File exhibits for the Risk/Return Summary of the above-named Fund filed as part of Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 on January 25, 2013. The exhibits filed herewith do not constitute the complete publicly filed disclosure for the Fund, and should be used in conjunction with the complete prospectus for the Fund.

Exhibit List for Interactive Data File Submissions.

EX-101.INS	INSTANCE
EX-101.SCH	SCHEMA
EX-101.CAL	CALCULATION LINKBASE
EX-101.DEF	DEFINITION LINKBASE
EX-101.LAB	LABEL LINKBASE
EX-101.PRE	PRESENTATION LINKBASE

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 25, 2013
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund")
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund's investment objective is to provide above average income and capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class A Shares (A), Class B Shares (B), Class C Shares (C), Class F Shares (F) and Institutional Shares (IS) of the Fund. You may qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in A class or at least $1,000,000 in F class of Federated funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the "What Do Shares Cost?" section of the Prospectus on page 13.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	February 1, 2014
Fee Waiver Or Reimbursement Over Assets Later Of Termination Date Or Next Effective Prospectus	feifi_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsLaterOfFeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsLaterOfTerminationDateOrNextEffectiveProspectus	up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus.
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 84% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	84.00%
Expense Breakpoint Discounts [Text]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointDiscounts	You may qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in A class or at least $1,000,000 in F class of Federated funds.
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. Expenses assuming no redemption are also shown. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that operating expenses are as shown in the table above and remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE What are the Fund's Main Investment Strategies?
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities of mid- to large-cap domestic companies. The Fund's investment adviser ordinarily selects dividend paying stocks that have a comparatively low volatility in share price relative to the overall equity market and which may provide relatively high dividend income and dividend growth potential, but may also select securities of companies that offer superior total return prospects. The Fund may also invest, to a lesser extent, in securities of foreign (including emerging market) issuers, and may invest in real estate investment trusts and securities of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds). The Fund may invest in derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (such as, for example, futures contracts, option contracts and swap contracts) to implement its strategies as more fully described herein. Because the Fund refers to equity income investments in its name, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policies that would enable the Fund to invest normally less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing equity investments.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund's returns include: Stock Market Risk. The value of equity securities in the Fund's portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund's Share price may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Information publicly available about a company, whether from the company's financial statements or other disclosures or from third parties, or information available to some but not all market participants, can affect the price of a company's shares in the market. Risk Related to Investing for Value. Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks. For instance, the price of a value stock may experience a smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings, a positive fundamental development or positive market development. Further, value stocks tend to have higher dividends than growth stocks. This means they depend less on price changes for returns and may lag behind growth stocks in an up market. Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the possibility that a certain sector may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. As the Adviser allocates more of the Fund's portfolio holdings to a particular sector, the Fund's performance will be more susceptible to any economic, business or other developments which generally affect that sector. Risk of Foreign Investing. Foreign securities pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors. Risk of Investing in ADRs and Domestically Traded Securities of Foreign Issuers. Because the Fund may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of foreign companies, the Fund's Share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case. Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries. Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. For example, their prices may be significantly more volatile than prices in developed countries. Emerging market economies may also experience more severe downturns (with corresponding currency devaluations) than developed economies. Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and stock market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States. Eurozone Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (EU) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries. Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchanged traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies. Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs. Custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States The inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss of its assets. Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund, and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these risk issues is described in greater detail in this Prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus or the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI), such as stock market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks. Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund's risk of loss and potential for gain. Counterparty Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy. Technology Risk. Proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance. The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance: Bar Chart and Table Risk/Return Bar Chart
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund's investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund's A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns for each class averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund's performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the "Products" section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund's A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis.
Performance One Year or Less [Text]	rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess	The Fund's IS class commenced operations on March 30, 2012.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	1-800-341-7400
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	FederatedInvestors.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund's performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. - A Class
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower. Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund's A class highest quarterly return was 16.99% (quarter ended June 30, 2003). Its lowest quarterly return was (16.14)% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Return Table
Performance Table Uses Highest Federal Rate	rr_PerformanceTableUsesHighestFederalRate	The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes.
Performance Table Not Relevant to Tax Deferred	rr_PerformanceTableNotRelevantToTaxDeferred	After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans.
Performance Table One Class of after Tax Shown [Text]	rr_PerformanceTableOneClassOfAfterTaxShown	In addition to Return Before Taxes, Return After Taxes is shown for the Fund's A class to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns.
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund's IS class commenced operations on March 30, 2012. For the period prior to the commencement of operations for the IS class, the performance information shown is for the Fund's A class. The performance of the A class has not been adjusted to reflect the expenses of the IS class since the IS class has a lower expense ratio than the expense ratio of the A class. The performance of the A class has been adjusted to reflect the absence of sales charges and adjusted to remove any voluntary waiver of the Fund's expenses related to the A class that may have occurred during the period prior to the commencement of operations of the IS class. In addition to Return Before Taxes, Return After Taxes is shown for the Fund's A class to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns. After-tax returns are shown only for A class, and after-tax returns for B, C, F and IS classes will differ from those shown for the A class. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor's personal tax situation, and are likely to differ from those shown. After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans. (For the Period Ended December 31, 2012)
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	5.50%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.05%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.57%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.23%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.09%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.14%
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	50,000
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	668
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	919
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,188
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,957
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	668
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	919
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	1,188
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,957
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	24.27%
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	13.20%
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	3.31%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	23.01%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	2.15%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(29.65%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	15.71%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	11.73%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	7.46%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	11.25%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest quarterly return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2003
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	16.99%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest quarterly return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(16.14%)
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	5.13%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.55%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.49%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | B
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	5.50%
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.75%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.58%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.94%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.04%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.90%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	747
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	1,009
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,247
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,080
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	197
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	609
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	1,047
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	2,080
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	4.86%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.50%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.42%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | C:
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.75%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.58%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.94%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.04%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.90%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	297
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	609
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	1,047
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	2,264
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	197
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	609
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	1,047
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	2,264
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	9.34%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.87%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.26%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | F:
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	1.00%
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	1.00%
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.25%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.58%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.44%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.04%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.40%
Expense Breakpoint, Minimum Investment Required [Amount]	rr_ExpenseBreakpointMinimumInvestmentRequiredAmount	1,000,000
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	345
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	651
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	879
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,807
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	245
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	551
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	879
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,807
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	8.79%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.17%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.69%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | IS:
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.32%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.93%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.03%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	0.90%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	95
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	296
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	515
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,143
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear01	95
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear03	296
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear05	515
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleNoRedemptionYear10	1,143
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	11.26%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.69%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.10%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | Return After Taxes on Distributions | A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.95%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	(0.05%)
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.93%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	3.31%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.26%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	5.55%
Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	17.51%	[2]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.59%	[2]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.38%	[2]

[1] The Adviser and its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive their fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses) paid by the Fund's A, B, C, F and IS classes (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 1.13%, 1.89%, 1.89%, 1.39% and 0.89%, respectively, (the "Fee Limit"), up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus. While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to the Termination Date with the agreement of the Fund's Board of Directors.

[2] The Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

XML

Class ABCF and Institutional Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc

Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund")

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund's investment objective is to provide above average income and capital appreciation.

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class A Shares (A), Class B Shares (B), Class C Shares (C), Class F Shares (F) and Institutional Shares (IS) of the Fund. You may qualify for certain sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in A class or at least $1,000,000 in F class of Federated funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in the "What Do Shares Cost?" section of the Prospectus on page 13.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees Class ABCF and Institutional Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc	A	B	C	F	IS
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	5.50%	none	none	1.00%	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	none	5.50%	1.00%	1.00%	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	none	none	none	none	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	none	none	none	none	none
Exchange Fee	none	none	none	none	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses Class ABCF and Institutional Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc		A	B	C	F	IS
Management Fee		0.60%	0.60%	0.60%	0.60%	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee		0.05%	0.75%	0.75%	0.25%	none
Other Expenses		0.57%	0.58%	0.58%	0.58%	0.32%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses		0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.23%	1.94%	1.94%	1.44%	0.93%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	0.09%	0.04%	0.04%	0.04%	0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		1.14%	1.90%	1.90%	1.40%	0.90%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. Expenses assuming no redemption are also shown. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that operating expenses are as shown in the table above and remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example Class ABCF and Institutional Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
A	668	919	1,188	1,957
B	747	1,009	1,247	2,080
C	297	609	1,047	2,264
F	345	651	879	1,807
IS	95	296	515	1,143

Expense Example, No Redemption Class ABCF and Institutional Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc (USD $)	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
A	668	919	1,188	1,957
B	197	609	1,047	2,080
C	197	609	1,047	2,264
F	245	551	879	1,807
IS	95	296	515	1,143

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 84% of the average value of its portfolio.

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE

What are the Fund's Main Investment Strategies?

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities of mid- to large-cap domestic companies. The Fund's investment adviser ordinarily selects dividend paying stocks that have a comparatively low volatility in share price relative to the overall equity market and which may provide relatively high dividend income and dividend growth potential, but may also select securities of companies that offer superior total return prospects.

The Fund may also invest, to a lesser extent, in securities of foreign (including emerging market) issuers, and may invest in real estate investment trusts and securities of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds).

The Fund may invest in derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (such as, for example, futures contracts, option contracts and swap contracts) to implement its strategies as more fully described herein.

Because the Fund refers to equity income investments in its name, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policies that would enable the Fund to invest normally less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing equity investments.

What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?

All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund's returns include:

• Stock Market Risk. The value of equity securities in the Fund's portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund's Share price may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Information publicly available about a company, whether from the company's financial statements or other disclosures or from third parties, or information available to some but not all market participants, can affect the price of a company's shares in the market.

• Risk Related to Investing for Value. Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks. For instance, the price of a value stock may experience a smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings, a positive fundamental development or positive market development. Further, value stocks tend to have higher dividends than growth stocks. This means they depend less on price changes for returns and may lag behind growth stocks in an up market.

• Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the possibility that a certain sector may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. As the Adviser allocates more of the Fund's portfolio holdings to a particular sector, the Fund's performance will be more susceptible to any economic, business or other developments which generally affect that sector.

• Risk of Foreign Investing. Foreign securities pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors.

• Risk of Investing in ADRs and Domestically Traded Securities of Foreign Issuers. Because the Fund may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of foreign companies, the Fund's Share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case.

• Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries. Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. For example, their prices may be significantly more volatile than prices in developed countries. Emerging market economies may also experience more severe downturns (with corresponding currency devaluations) than developed economies.

• Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and stock market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States.

• Eurozone Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (EU) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries.

• Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchanged traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies.

• Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs. Custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States The inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss of its assets.

• Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund, and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these risk issues is described in greater detail in this Prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus or the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI), such as stock market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.

• Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund's risk of loss and potential for gain.

• Counterparty Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

• Technology Risk. Proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.

The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.

Performance: Bar Chart and Table

Risk/Return Bar Chart

The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund's investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund's A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns for each class averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund's performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the "Products" section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400.

Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. - A Class

The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower.

Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund's A class highest quarterly return was 16.99% (quarter ended June 30, 2003). Its lowest quarterly return was (16.14)% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Average Annual Total Return Table

The Fund's IS class commenced operations on March 30, 2012. For the period prior to the commencement of operations for the IS class, the performance information shown is for the Fund's A class. The performance of the A class has not been adjusted to reflect the expenses of the IS class since the IS class has a lower expense ratio than the expense ratio of the A class. The performance of the A class has been adjusted to reflect the absence of sales charges and adjusted to remove any voluntary waiver of the Fund's expenses related to the A class that may have occurred during the period prior to the commencement of operations of the IS class.

In addition to Return Before Taxes, Return After Taxes is shown for the Fund's A class to illustrate the effect of federal taxes on Fund returns. After-tax returns are shown only for A class, and after-tax returns for B, C, F and IS classes will differ from those shown for the A class. Actual after-tax returns depend on each investor's personal tax situation, and are likely to differ from those shown. After-tax returns are calculated using a standard set of assumptions. The stated returns assume the highest historical federal income and capital gains tax rates. These after-tax returns do not reflect the effect of any applicable state and local taxes. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors holding Shares through a 401(k) plan, an Individual Retirement Account or other tax-advantaged investment plans.

(For the Period Ended December 31, 2012)

Average Annual Total Returns Class ABCF and Institutional Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc		1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
A		5.13%	0.55%	6.49%
A Return After Taxes on Distributions		3.95%	(0.05%)	5.93%
A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares		3.31%	0.26%	5.55%
B		4.86%	0.50%	6.42%
C		9.34%	0.87%	6.26%
F		8.79%	1.17%	6.69%
IS		11.26%	1.69%	7.10%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	17.51%	0.59%	7.38%

[1] The Adviser and its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive their fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses) paid by the Fund's A, B, C, F and IS classes (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 1.13%, 1.89%, 1.89%, 1.39% and 0.89%, respectively, (the "Fee Limit"), up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus. While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to the Termination Date with the agreement of the Fund's Board of Directors.

[1] The Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 25, 2013
Document Creation Date	dei_DocumentCreationDate	Jan. 25, 2013

XML

Document and Entity Information	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2013
Risk/Return:
Document Type	485BPOS
Document Period End Date	Nov. 30, 2012
Registrant Name	FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND INC
Central Index Key	0000799704
Amendment Flag	false
Document Creation Date	Jan. 25, 2013
Document Effective Date	Jan. 25, 2013
Prospectus Date	Jan. 25, 2013

XML

Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	FEDERATED EQUITY INCOME FUND INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Jan. 25, 2013
Class R Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund")
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The Fund's investment objective is to provide above average income and capital appreciation.
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class R Shares (R) of the Fund.
Shareholder Fees Caption [Text]	rr_ShareholderFeesCaption	Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement over Assets, Date of Termination	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsDateOfTermination	February 1, 2014
Fee Waiver Or Reimbursement Over Assets Later Of Termination Date Or Next Effective Prospectus	feifi_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsLaterOfFeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssetsLaterOfTerminationDateOrNextEffectiveProspectus	up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus.
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 84% of the average value of its portfolio.
Portfolio Turnover, Rate	rr_PortfolioTurnoverRate	84.00%
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that operating expenses are as shown in the table above and remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE What are the Fund’s Main Investment Strategies?
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities of mid- to large-cap domestic companies. The Fund’s investment adviser ordinarily selects dividend paying stocks that have a comparatively low volatility in share price relative to the overall equity market and which may provide relatively high dividend income and dividend growth potential, but may also select securities of companies that offer superior total return prospects. The Fund may also invest, to a lesser extent, in securities of foreign (including emerging market) issuers, and may invest in real estate investment trusts and securities of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds). The Fund may invest in derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (such as, for example, futures contracts, option contracts and swap contracts) to implement its strategies as more fully described herein. Because the Fund refers to equity income investments in its name, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policies that would enable the Fund to invest normally less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing equity investments.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s returns include: Stock Market Risk. The value of equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund’s Share price may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Information publicly available about a company, whether from the company’s financial statements or other disclosures or from third parties, or information available to some but not all market participants, can affect the price of a company’s shares in the market. Risk Related to Investing for Value. Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks. For instance, the price of a value stock may experience a smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings, a positive fundamental development or positive market development. Further, value stocks tend to have higher dividends than growth stocks. This means they depend less on price changes for returns and may lag behind growth stocks in an up market. Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the possibility that a certain sector may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. As the Adviser allocates more of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a particular sector, the Fund’s performance will be more susceptible to any economic, business or other developments which generally affect that sector. Risk of Foreign Investing. Foreign securities pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors. Risk of Investing in ADRs and Domestically Traded Securities of Foreign Issuers. Because the Fund may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of foreign companies, the Fund’s Share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case. Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries. Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. For example, their prices may be significantly more volatile than prices in developed countries. Emerging market economies may also experience more severe downturns (with corresponding currency devaluations) than developed economies. Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and stock market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States. Eurozone Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (EU) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries. Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchanged traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies. Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs. Custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States The inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss of its assets. Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund, and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these risk issues is described in greater detail in this Prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus or the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI), such as stock market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks. Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain. Counterparty Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy. Technology Risk. Proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance. The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund.
Risk Not Insured Depository Institution [Text]	rr_RiskNotInsuredDepositoryInstitution	The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance: Bar Chart and Table Risk/Return Bar Chart
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund’s Class R Shares are expected to commence operations on or around January 25, 2013. The Fund offers five other classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class F Shares and Institutional Shares. The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the “Products” section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400.
Performance Information Illustrates Variability of Returns [Text]	rr_PerformanceInformationIllustratesVariabilityOfReturns	The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund's A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis.
Performance One Year or Less [Text]	rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess	The Fund's Class R Shares are expected to commence operations on or around January 25, 2013.
Performance Availability Phone [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityPhone	1-800-341-7400
Performance Availability Website Address [Text]	rr_PerformanceAvailabilityWebSiteAddress	FederatedInvestors.com
Performance Past Does Not Indicate Future [Text]	rr_PerformancePastDoesNotIndicateFuture	The Fund's performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results.
Bar Chart [Heading]	rr_BarChartHeading	Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. - A Class
Bar Chart Does Not Reflect Sales Loads [Text]	rr_BarChartDoesNotReflectSalesLoads	The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower.
Bar Chart Closing [Text Block]	rr_BarChartClosingTextBlock	The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower. Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s A class highest quarterly return was 16.99% (quarter ended June 30, 2003). Its lowest quarterly return was (16.14)% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).
Bar Chart, Returns for Class Not Offered in Prospectus [Text]	rr_BarChartReturnsForClassNotOfferedInProspectus	The Fund's R class is expected to commence operations on January 25, 2013. For the period prior to commencement of operations of the R class, the performance information shown is for the Fund's A class, adjusted to reflect the expenses of the R class. The performance of the A class has been adjusted to reflect the absence of sales charges and adjusted to remove any voluntary waiver of the Fund's expenses related to the A class that may have occurred during the period prior to the commencement of operations of the R class.
Performance Table Heading	rr_PerformanceTableHeading	Average Annual Total Return Table
Performance Table Narrative	rr_PerformanceTableNarrativeTextBlock	The Fund’s R class is expected to commence operations on January 25, 2013. For the period prior to commencement of operations of the R class, the performance information shown is for the Fund's A class, adjusted to reflect the expenses of the R class. The performance of the A class has been adjusted to reflect the absence of sales charges and adjusted to remove any voluntary waiver of the Fund's expenses related to the A class that may have occurred during the period prior to the commencement of operations of the R class. Return Before Taxes is shown for the Fund's R class. (For the Period Ended December 31, 2012)
Class R Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | R
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeImposedOnPurchasesOverOfferingPrice	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	rr_MaximumDeferredSalesChargeOverOther	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	rr_MaximumSalesChargeOnReinvestedDividendsAndDistributionsOverOther	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	rr_RedemptionFeeOverRedemption	none
Exchange Fee	rr_ExchangeFeeOverRedemption	none
Management Fee	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	0.50%
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	0.54%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	rr_AcquiredFundFeesAndExpensesOverAssets	0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	1.65%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_FeeWaiverOrReimbursementOverAssets	0.25%	[1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	rr_NetExpensesOverAssets	1.40%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	168
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	520
5 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear05	897
10 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear10	1,955
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	10.99%
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	1.41%
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	6.85%
Class R Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | A
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
2003	rr_AnnualReturn2003	24.27%
2004	rr_AnnualReturn2004	13.20%
2005	rr_AnnualReturn2005	3.31%
2006	rr_AnnualReturn2006	23.01%
2007	rr_AnnualReturn2007	2.15%
2008	rr_AnnualReturn2008	(29.65%)
2009	rr_AnnualReturn2009	15.71%
2010	rr_AnnualReturn2010	11.73%
2011	rr_AnnualReturn2011	7.46%
2012	rr_AnnualReturn2012	11.25%
Highest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_HighestQuarterlyReturnLabel	highest quarterly return
Highest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturnDate	Jun. 30, 2003
Highest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartHighestQuarterlyReturn	16.99%
Lowest Quarterly Return, Label	rr_LowestQuarterlyReturnLabel	lowest quarterly return
Lowest Quarterly Return, Date	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturnDate	Dec. 31, 2008
Lowest Quarterly Return	rr_BarChartLowestQuarterlyReturn	(16.14%)
Class R Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc | Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
1 Year	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear01	17.51%	[2]
5 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear05	0.59%	[2]
10 Years	rr_AverageAnnualReturnYear10	7.38%	[2]

[1] The Adviser and its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive their fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses) paid by the Fund's R class (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 1.39% (the "Fee Limit") up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus. While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to the Termination Date with the agreement of the Fund's Board of Directors.

[2] The Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.

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Class R Shares | Federated Equity Income Fund Inc

Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund")

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund's investment objective is to provide above average income and capital appreciation.

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: FEES AND EXPENSES

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold Class R Shares (R) of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees	Class R Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc R
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, as applicable)	none
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Reinvested Dividends (and other Distributions) (as a percentage of offering price)	none
Redemption Fee (as a percentage of amount redeemed, if applicable)	none
Exchange Fee	none

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses		Class R Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc R
Management Fee		0.60%
Distribution (12b-1) Fee		0.50%
Other Expenses		0.54%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses		0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses		1.65%
Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements	[1]	0.25%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waivers and/or Expense Reimbursements		1.40%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your Shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that operating expenses are as shown in the table above and remain the same. Although your actual costs and returns may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example (USD $)	Class R Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc R
1 Year	168
3 Years	520
5 Years	897
10 Years	1,955

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund Shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 84% of the average value of its portfolio.

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY: INVESTMENTS, RISKS and PERFORMANCE

What are the Fund’s Main Investment Strategies?

The Fund pursues its investment objective by investing primarily in income-producing equity securities of mid- to large-cap domestic companies. The Fund’s investment adviser ordinarily selects dividend paying stocks that have a comparatively low volatility in share price relative to the overall equity market and which may provide relatively high dividend income and dividend growth potential, but may also select securities of companies that offer superior total return prospects.
The Fund may also invest, to a lesser extent, in securities of foreign (including emerging market) issuers, and may invest in real estate investment trusts and securities of other investment companies (including exchange-traded funds).
The Fund may invest in derivative contracts and hybrid instruments (such as, for example, futures contracts, option contracts and swap contracts) to implement its strategies as more fully described herein.
Because the Fund refers to equity income investments in its name, it will notify shareholders at least 60 days in advance of any change in its investment policies that would enable the Fund to invest normally less than 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in income producing equity investments.

What are the Main Risks of Investing in the Fund?

All mutual funds take investment risks. Therefore, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. The primary factors that may reduce the Fund’s returns include:

• Stock Market Risk. The value of equity securities in the Fund’s portfolio will fluctuate and, as a result, the Fund’s Share price may decline suddenly or over a sustained period of time. Information publicly available about a company, whether from the company’s financial statements or other disclosures or from third parties, or information available to some but not all market participants, can affect the price of a company’s shares in the market.

• Risk Related to Investing for Value. Due to their relatively low valuations, value stocks are typically less volatile than growth stocks. For instance, the price of a value stock may experience a smaller increase on a forecast of higher earnings, a positive fundamental development or positive market development. Further, value stocks tend to have higher dividends than growth stocks. This means they depend less on price changes for returns and may lag behind growth stocks in an up market.

• Sector Risk. Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the possibility that a certain sector may underperform other sectors or the market as a whole. As the Adviser allocates more of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to a particular sector, the Fund’s performance will be more susceptible to any economic, business or other developments which generally affect that sector.

• Risk of Foreign Investing. Foreign securities pose additional risks because foreign economic or political conditions may be less favorable than those of the United States. Securities in foreign markets may also be subject to taxation policies that reduce returns for U.S. investors.

• Risk of Investing in ADRs and Domestically Traded Securities of Foreign Issuers. Because the Fund may invest in ADRs and other domestically traded securities of foreign companies, the Fund’s Share price may be more affected by foreign economic and political conditions, taxation policies and accounting and auditing standards than would otherwise be the case.

• Risk of Investing in Emerging Market Countries. Securities issued or traded in emerging markets generally entail greater risks than securities issued or traded in developed markets. For example, their prices may be significantly more volatile than prices in developed countries. Emerging market economies may also experience more severe downturns (with corresponding currency devaluations) than developed economies.

• Currency Risk. Exchange rates for currencies fluctuate daily. The combination of currency risk and stock market risk tends to make securities traded in foreign markets more volatile than securities traded exclusively in the United States.

• Eurozone Related Risk. A number of countries in the European Union (EU) have experienced, and may continue to experience, severe economic and financial difficulties. Additional EU member countries may also fall subject to such difficulties. These events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund’s investments in euro-denominated securities and derivatives contracts, securities of issuers located in the EU or with significant exposure to EU issuers or countries.

• Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. An investment in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) generally presents the same primary risks as an investment in a conventional fund (i.e., one that is not exchanged traded) that has the same investment objectives, strategies and policies.

• Custodial Services and Related Investment Costs. Custodial services and other costs relating to investment in international securities markets generally are more expensive than in the United States. Such markets have settlement and clearance procedures that differ from those in the United States The inability of the Fund to make intended securities purchases due to settlement problems could cause the Fund to miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, security settlement and clearance procedures in some emerging countries may not fully protect the Fund against loss of its assets.

• Risk of Investing in Derivative Contracts and Hybrid Instruments. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Specific risk issues related to the use of such contracts include valuation and tax issues, increased potential for losses and/or costs to the Fund, and a potential reduction in gains to the Fund. Each of these risk issues is described in greater detail in this Prospectus. Derivative contracts and hybrid instruments may also involve other risks described in this Prospectus or the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (SAI), such as stock market, interest rate, credit, currency, liquidity and leverage risks.

• Leverage Risk. Leverage risk is created when an investment, which includes, for example, an investment in a derivative contract, exposes the Fund to a level of risk that exceeds the amount invested. Changes in the value of such an investment magnify the Fund’s risk of loss and potential for gain.

• Counterparty Credit Risk. Credit risk includes the possibility that a party to a transaction involving the Fund will fail to meet its obligations. This could cause the Fund to lose the benefit of the transaction or prevent the Fund from selling or buying other securities to implement its investment strategy.

• Technology Risk. Proprietary and third-party data and systems are utilized to support decision making for the Fund. Data imprecision, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems, which may negatively affect Fund performance.

The Shares offered by this Prospectus are not deposits or obligations of any bank, are not endorsed or guaranteed by any bank and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.

Performance: Bar Chart and Table

Risk/Return Bar Chart

The Fund’s Class R Shares are expected to commence operations on or around January 25, 2013. The Fund offers five other classes of shares: Class A Shares, Class B Shares, Class C Shares, Class F Shares and Institutional Shares. The bar chart and performance table below reflect historical performance data for the Fund and are intended to help you analyze the Fund’s investment risks in light of its historical returns. The bar chart shows the variability of the Fund’s A class total returns on a calendar year-by-year basis. The Average Annual Total Return Table shows returns averaged over the stated periods, and includes comparative performance information. The Fund’s performance will fluctuate, and past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of future results. Updated performance information for the Fund is available under the “Products” section at FederatedInvestors.com or by calling 1-800-341-7400.

Federated Equity Income Fund, Inc. - A Class

The total returns shown in the bar chart do not reflect the payment of any sales charges or recurring shareholder account fees. If these charges or fees had been included, the returns shown would have been lower.

Within the periods shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s A class highest quarterly return was 16.99% (quarter ended June 30, 2003). Its lowest quarterly return was (16.14)% (quarter ended December 31, 2008).

Average Annual Total Return Table

The Fund’s R class is expected to commence operations on January 25, 2013. For the period prior to commencement of operations of the R class, the performance information shown is for the Fund's A class, adjusted to reflect the expenses of the R class. The performance of the A class has been adjusted to reflect the absence of sales charges and adjusted to remove any voluntary waiver of the Fund's expenses related to the A class that may have occurred during the period prior to the commencement of operations of the R class.

Return Before Taxes is shown for the Fund's R class.

(For the Period Ended December 31, 2012)

Average Annual Total Returns Class R Shares Federated Equity Income Fund Inc		1 Year	5 Years	10 Years
R		10.99%	1.41%	6.85%
Russell 1000 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)	[1]	17.51%	0.59%	7.38%

[1] The Adviser and its affiliates have voluntarily agreed to waive their fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the total annual fund operating expenses (excluding Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses) paid by the Fund's R class (after the voluntary waivers and/or reimbursements) will not exceed 1.39% (the "Fee Limit") up to but not including the later of (the "Termination Date"): (a) February 1, 2014; or (b) the date of the Fund's next effective Prospectus. While the Adviser and its affiliates currently do not anticipate terminating or increasing these arrangements prior to the Termination Date, these arrangements may only be terminated or the Fee Limit increased prior to the Termination Date with the agreement of the Fund's Board of Directors.

[1] The Russell 1000 Value Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values.