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Condensed Financial Information (Parent Company) (Loans to Subsidiaries - Narrative) (Details) (Parent Company [Member], USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Jun. 30, 2014
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates $ 1,709us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate $ 2,333us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate    
Senior notes 15,317us-gaap_SeniorNotes 15,938us-gaap_SeniorNotes    
Loans to Subsidiaries, Repayment Amount 832us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties 645us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties 175us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties  
Interest Income [Member]
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to Subsidiaries, Interest Income 155us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_InterestIncomeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
103us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_InterestIncomeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
1us-gaap_RevenueFromRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_InterestIncomeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
American Life Loan One [Member]
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates 100us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanOneMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Advances To Affiliate Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage 3.17%met_AdvancesToAffiliateInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanOneMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Loans to subsidiaries, maturity date Jun. 30, 2020      
American Life Loan Two [Member]
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates 120us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanTwoMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate Terms six-month LIBOR plus 0.875%      
Advances To Affiliate Repayment 120met_AdvancesToAffiliateRepayment
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanTwoMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
American Life Loan Three [Member]
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates 150us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate Terms six-month LIBOR plus 0.875%      
Advances To Affiliate Repayment 150met_AdvancesToAffiliateRepayment
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_AmericanLifeLoanThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
MetLife Reinsurance Company of Delaware Surplus Note [Member]
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates   350us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_MetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareSurplusNoteMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
750us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_MetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareSurplusNoteMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Advances To Affiliate Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage   6.00%met_AdvancesToAffiliateInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_MetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareSurplusNoteMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
5.13%met_AdvancesToAffiliateInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_MetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareSurplusNoteMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
 
Loans to subsidiaries, maturity date   Dec. 01, 2033 Sep. 30, 2032  
MetLife Ireland Treasury Limited loan from MetLife, Inc.
       
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Loans to subsidiaries and affiliates   1,500us-gaap_AdvancesToAffiliate
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Advances To Affiliate Instrument Interest Rate Effective Percentage   8.50%met_AdvancesToAffiliateInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
   
Loans to subsidiaries, maturity date   Jul. 01, 2023    
Loans to Subsidiaries, Repayment Amount 493us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
245us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
  69us-gaap_ProceedsFromCollectionOfLongtermLoansToRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Loans and Leases Receivable, Related Parties 509us-gaap_LoansAndLeasesReceivableRelatedParties
/ us-gaap_InvestmentsInAndAdvancesToAffiliatesCategorizationAxis
= met_LoansToSubsidiariesInstrumentThreeMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
     
Senior Notes Affiliated [Member]        
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Senior notes 500us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= met_SeniorNotesAffiliatedMember
     
Senior Note Issued To Metlife Reinsurance Company Of Delaware [Member] | Senior Notes Affiliated [Member]        
Notes to Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company (Textuals) [Abstract]        
Senior notes   $ 350us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= met_SeniorNoteIssuedToMetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= met_SeniorNotesAffiliatedMember
$ 750us-gaap_SeniorNotes
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= met_SeniorNoteIssuedToMetlifeReinsuranceCompanyOfDelawareMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= met_SeniorNotesAffiliatedMember