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Investments (Mortgage Loans - Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]      
Financing Receivable, Significant Purchases $ 1,400,000,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableSignificantPurchases $ 597,000,000us-gaap_FinancingReceivableSignificantPurchases  
Percentage of Mortgage Loans Classified as Performing 99.00%met_PercentageOfMortgageLoansClassifiedAsPerforming   99.00%met_PercentageOfMortgageLoansClassifiedAsPerforming
Commercial      
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 171,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
507,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
 
Agricultural      
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 63,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
100,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
 
Estimated fair value of mortgage loans held-for-investment 12,800,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
  12,800,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= met_AgriculturalPortfolioSegmentMember
Residential      
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 47,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
13,000,000us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
 
Estimated fair value of mortgage loans held-for-investment $ 7,700,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
  6,600,000,000us-gaap_NotesReceivableNet
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember