Collateral Financing Arrangements Collateral Financing Arrangements (Associated with Closed Block) (Details) - Secured Debt [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2007	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Met Life Reinsurance Company Of Charleston [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	0.55%
Debt Instrument, Principal Outstanding		$ 1,274	$ 1,342
Other Receivables		166	174
Pledged Assets Separately Reported, Securities Pledged for Other Debt Obligations, at Fair Value		160	67
Invested Assets On Deposit Held In Trust And Pledged As Collateral		$ 1,211	$ 1,181
Parent Company [Member] \| Secured Debt Mrc [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	1.12%

The element presents the invested assets on deposit, held in trust and pledged as collateral.

No definition available.

Name:	met_InvestedAssetsOnDepositHeldInTrustAndPledgedAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but is not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, commercial loans, mortgage loans, convertible debt, subordinated debt and other types of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(22))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount due from parties in nontrade transactions, classified as other.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherReceivables
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value, as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, of securities that are restricted as collateral for the payment of other debt obligations, and that are reclassified and separately reported in the statement of financial position because the transferee has the right by contract or custom to sell or re-pledge them.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66007379&loc=d3e113888-111728

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PledgedAssetsSeparatelyReportedSecuritiesPledgedForOtherDebtObligationsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=met_MetLifeReinsuranceCompanyOfCharlestonMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuredDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=met_SecuredDebtMrcMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: