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Insurance (Separate Accounts - Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Insurance [Abstract]      
Pass-through separate accounts $ 261,300,000,000met_PassThroughSeparateAccounts $ 265,400,000,000met_PassThroughSeparateAccounts  
Separate accounts with a guaranteed minimum return or account value 55,700,000,000met_SeparateAccountsWithMinimumReturnOrAccountValue 51,800,000,000met_SeparateAccountsWithMinimumReturnOrAccountValue  
Gain (losses) on transfers of assets from the general account to the separate accounts $ 0us-gaap_GainLossRecognizedOnAssetsTransferredToSeparateAccount $ 0us-gaap_GainLossRecognizedOnAssetsTransferredToSeparateAccount $ 0us-gaap_GainLossRecognizedOnAssetsTransferredToSeparateAccount
Funding Agreements and Participating Close Out Contracts Included in Separate Accounts with a Guaranteed Minimum Return or Account Value [Member]      
Schedule Separate Accounts [Line Items]      
Average interest rate credited on separate accounts with a guaranteed minimum return or account value 2.25%us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeEstimatedAverageInvestmentYield
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= met_FundingAgreementsAndParticipatingCloseOutContractsIncludedInSeparateAccountsWithGuaranteedMinimumReturnOrAccountValueMember
2.23%us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeEstimatedAverageInvestmentYield
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= met_FundingAgreementsAndParticipatingCloseOutContractsIncludedInSeparateAccountsWithGuaranteedMinimumReturnOrAccountValueMember