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Investments (Valuation Allowance Rollforward by Portfolio Segment) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]      
Beginning Balance $ 322us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate $ 347us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate $ 481us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
Provision (release) 12us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses (13)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses (86)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
Charge-offs, net of recoveries (29)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs (12)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs (37)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
Transfers to held-for-sale 0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet 0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet (11)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
Ending Balance 305us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate 322us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate 347us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
Commercial      
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]      
Beginning Balance 258us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
293us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
398us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Provision (release) (11)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
(35)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
(92)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Charge-offs, net of recoveries (23)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
(13)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Transfers to held-for-sale 0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Ending Balance 224us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
258us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
293us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Agricultural      
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]      
Beginning Balance 44us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
52us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
81us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Provision (release) (4)us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
4us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
0us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Charge-offs, net of recoveries (1)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
(12)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
(24)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Transfers to held-for-sale 0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
(5)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Ending Balance 39us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
44us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
52us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Residential      
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]      
Beginning Balance 20us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
2us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
2us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Provision (release) 27us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
18us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
6us-gaap_ProvisionForLoanAndLeaseLosses
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Charge-offs, net of recoveries (5)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesWriteOffs
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Transfers to held-for-sale 0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
0us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
(6)us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesAdjustmentsNet
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Ending Balance $ 42us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
$ 20us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
$ 2us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
/ us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLoanTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember