Name:	met_EquitySecuritiesAvailableForSaleWithGrossUnrealizedLossOfEqualToOrGreaterThanStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The percentage of gross unrealized loss.

No definition available.

Name:	met_PercentageOfGrossUnrealizedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

This item represents the pretax change in net unrealized holding gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities that has been included in accumulated other comprehensive income, a separate component of shareholders' equity, during the period.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27357-111563

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesChangeInNetUnrealizedHoldingGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

Amount of unrealized loss on securities classified as available-for-sale.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27290-111563

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPositionAggregateLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Number of investment positions in available-for-sale investments in a continuous unrealized loss position for which an other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) has not been recognized in the income statement.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27290-111563

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesInUnrealizedLossPositionsQualitativeDisclosureNumberOfPositions1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

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.

No definition available.

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

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_MajorTypesOfDebtAndEquitySecuritiesAxis=us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	met_ScheduleOfSecuritiesByPercentAxis=met_TwentyPercentOrMoreMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	met_ScheduleOfSecuritiesByDurationAxis=met_SixMonthsOrGreaterMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingByGroupingAxis=us-gaap_ExternalCreditRatingInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: