Equity (Dividend Restrictions) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	$ 1,116,000,000	$ 1,428,000,000	$ 1,350,000,000
Paid	1,428,000,000	1,023,000,000
American Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	0	523,000,000	168,000,000
Paid	0	1,300,000,000
Total amount of dividend pre-approved by regulatory agency	1,500,000,000
MetLife Insurance Company Of Connecticut [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	1,061,000,000	1,330,000,000	504,000,000
Paid	1,000,000,000
Total dividends paid		706,000,000
In-kind dividend		202,000,000
Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	218,000,000	74,000,000	0
Paid	100,000,000	100,000,000
Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	73,000,000	77,000,000	82,000,000
Paid		82,000,000
Total dividends paid	109,000,000
In-kind dividend	32,000,000
MetLife Investors Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	99,000,000	129,000,000	18,000,000
Paid	129,000,000	18,000,000
Delaware American Life Insurance Company [Member]
Statutory Accounting Practices [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	16,000,000	7,000,000	12,000,000
Paid	$ 0	$ 0