Segment Information (Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues
Premiums									$ 39,153	$ 38,545	$ 39,067
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									9,206	9,507	9,946
Net investment income									19,947	19,281	21,153
Other revenues									1,759	1,983	2,030
Net investment gains (losses)									171	597	(197)
Net derivative gains (losses)									(6,760)	38	1,317
Total revenues	$ 12,076	$ 17,723	$ 15,244	$ 18,433	$ 17,044	$ 18,031	$ 16,166	$ 18,710	63,476	69,951	73,316
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									42,060	40,102	40,478
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									6,282	5,610	6,943
Goodwill impairment									260	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(3,589)	(3,837)	(4,183)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									2,641	3,936	4,132
Amortization of negative VOBA									(269)	(361)	(442)
Interest expense on debt									1,201	1,208	1,216
Other expenses									15,085	15,823	16,368
Total expenses	15,641	17,175	15,344	15,511	15,909	15,868	15,053	15,651	63,671	62,481	64,512
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									(999)	2,148	2,465
Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of income tax	$ (2,086)	$ 573	$ 114	$ 2,203	$ 842	$ 1,198	$ 1,119	$ 2,163	804	5,322	6,339
U.S.
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									471	471	458
Asia
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									1,338	1,265	1,394
Latin America
Expenses
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									184	271	313
EMEA
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									408	492	626
MetLife Holdings
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									424	701	199
Brighthouse Financial
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									260
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									(192)	737	1,150
Corporate & Other
Expenses
Goodwill impairment									0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									8	(1)	(8)
Operating Segments
Revenues
Premiums									38,727	38,548	39,022
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									8,700	9,113	9,541
Net investment income									19,700	19,789	20,484
Other revenues									1,751	2,020	2,033
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									68,878	69,470	71,080
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									40,970	39,565	39,478
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									5,249	5,334	5,661
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(3,484)	(3,837)	(4,182)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									4,104	3,802	4,027
Amortization of negative VOBA									(222)	(326)	(396)
Interest expense on debt									1,198	1,200	1,178
Other expenses									14,489	15,806	16,254
Total expenses									62,304	61,544	62,020
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									1,382	2,326	2,378
Operating earnings									5,192	5,600	6,682
Operating Segments | U.S.
Revenues
Premiums									21,501	20,861	20,243
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									989	943	909
Net investment income									6,206	6,209	6,111
Other revenues									784	751	721
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									29,480	28,764	27,984
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									21,558	20,837	20,110
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									1,302	1,216	1,168
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(471)	(493)	(488)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									471	471	458
Amortization of negative VOBA									0	0	0
Interest expense on debt									9	4	12
Other expenses									3,706	3,685	3,550
Total expenses									26,575	25,720	24,810
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									988	1,040	1,073
Operating earnings									1,917	2,004	2,101
Operating Segments | Asia
Revenues
Premiums									6,902	6,937	7,566
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									1,487	1,542	1,693
Net investment income									2,707	2,675	2,886
Other revenues									61	105	106
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									11,157	11,259	12,251
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									5,191	5,275	5,724
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									1,298	1,309	1,544
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(1,668)	(1,720)	(1,914)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									1,224	1,256	1,397
Amortization of negative VOBA									(208)	(309)	(364)
Interest expense on debt									0	0	0
Other expenses									3,586	3,611	3,975
Total expenses									9,423	9,422	10,362
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									492	457	582
Operating earnings									1,242	1,380	1,307
Operating Segments | Latin America
Revenues
Premiums									2,529	2,581	2,796
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									1,025	1,117	1,239
Net investment income									1,084	1,038	1,219
Other revenues									34	41	33
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									4,672	4,777	5,287
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									2,443	2,408	2,615
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									328	349	394
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(321)	(341)	(377)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									184	271	313
Amortization of negative VOBA									(1)	(1)	(1)
Interest expense on debt									2	0	0
Other expenses									1,336	1,429	1,588
Total expenses									3,971	4,115	4,532
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									158	37	129
Operating earnings									543	625	626
Operating Segments | EMEA
Revenues
Premiums									2,027	2,036	2,309
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									391	424	466
Net investment income									318	326	428
Other revenues									73	61	60
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									2,809	2,847	3,263
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									1,067	988	1,053
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									112	120	148
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(403)	(472)	(680)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									408	497	613
Amortization of negative VOBA									(13)	(16)	(31)
Interest expense on debt									0	0	0
Other expenses									1,323	1,469	1,846
Total expenses									2,494	2,586	2,949
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									42	21	29
Operating earnings									273	240	285
Operating Segments | MetLife Holdings
Revenues
Premiums									4,506	4,545	4,545
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									1,436	1,482	1,374
Net investment income									5,944	6,201	6,409
Other revenues									581	930	1,062
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									12,467	13,158	13,390
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									7,534	7,357	7,217
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									1,042	1,062	1,098
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(281)	(410)	(326)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									736	577	444
Amortization of negative VOBA									0	0	0
Interest expense on debt									57	55	58
Other expenses									2,392	2,694	2,670
Total expenses									11,480	11,335	11,161
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									288	581	714
Operating earnings									699	1,242	1,515
Operating Segments | Brighthouse Financial
Revenues
Premiums									1,222	1,675	1,474
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									3,491	3,718	3,963
Net investment income									3,503	3,327	3,156
Other revenues									735	422	534
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									8,951	9,142	9,127
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									3,200	2,875	2,711
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									1,162	1,255	1,275
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(333)	(399)	(397)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									1,073	731	810
Amortization of negative VOBA									0	0	0
Interest expense on debt									128	128	133
Other expenses									2,338	2,484	2,472
Total expenses									7,568	7,074	7,004
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									361	555	570
Operating earnings									1,022	1,513	1,553
Operating Segments | Corporate & Other
Revenues
Premiums									40	(87)	89
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									(119)	(113)	(103)
Net investment income									(62)	13	275
Other revenues									(517)	(290)	(483)
Net investment gains (losses)									0	0	0
Net derivative gains (losses)									0	0	0
Total revenues									(658)	(477)	(222)
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									(23)	(175)	48
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									5	23	34
Goodwill impairment									0	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(7)	(2)	0
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									8	(1)	(8)
Amortization of negative VOBA									0	0	0
Interest expense on debt									1,002	1,013	975
Other expenses									(192)	434	153
Total expenses									793	1,292	1,202
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									(947)	(365)	(719)
Operating earnings									(504)	(1,404)	(705)
Significant Reconciling Items
Revenues
Premiums									426	(3)	45
Universal life and investment-type product policy fees									506	394	405
Net investment income									247	(508)	669
Other revenues									8	(37)	(3)
Net investment gains (losses)									171	597	(197)
Net derivative gains (losses)									(6,760)	38	1,317
Total revenues									(5,402)	481	2,236
Expenses
Policyholder benefits and claims and policyholder dividends									1,090	537	1,000
Interest credited to policyholder account balances									1,033	276	1,282
Goodwill impairment									260	0	0
Capitalization of DAC									(105)	0	(1)
Amortization of DAC and VOBA									(1,463)	134	105
Amortization of negative VOBA									(47)	(35)	(46)
Interest expense on debt									3	8	38
Other expenses									596	17	114
Total expenses									1,367	937	2,492
Provision for income tax expense (benefit)									$ (2,381)	$ (178)	$ 87