Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock at Cost	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Total MetLife, Inc.'s Stockholders' Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance (Scenario, Previously Reported) at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 72,560	$ 1	$ 12	$ 30,543	$ 32,020	$ (1,172)	$ 10,649	$ 72,053	$ 507
Beginning Balance (Restatement Adjustment)	155	0	0	0	90	0	65	155	0
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	72,715	1	12	30,543	32,110	(1,172)	10,714	72,208	507
Repurchase of preferred stock	(1,460)	(1)		(1,459)				(1,460)
Preferred stock repurchase premium	(42)				(42)			(42)
Preferred stock issuance	1,483			1,483				1,483
Treasury stock acquired in connection with share repurchases	(1,930)					(1,930)		(1,930)
Stock-based compensation	182			182				182
Dividends on preferred stock	(116)				(116)			(116)
Dividends on common stock	(1,653)				(1,653)			(1,653)
Change in equity of noncontrolling interests	(69)							0	(69)
Net income (loss)	5,385				5,373			5,373	12
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax | Scenario, Previously Reported	(5,858)						576
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax | Restatement Adjustment	(69)						23
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	(5,927)						(5,947)	(5,947)	20
Ending Balance (Scenario, Previously Reported) at Dec. 31, 2015	68,419
Ending Balance (Restatement Adjustment)	149
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	68,568	0	12	30,749	35,672	(3,102)	4,767	68,098	470
Preferred stock repurchase premium	0
Treasury stock acquired in connection with share repurchases	(372)					(372)		(372)
Stock-based compensation	195			195				195
Dividends on preferred stock	(103)				(103)			(103)
Dividends on common stock	(1,736)				(1,736)			(1,736)
Change in equity of noncontrolling interests	(391)							0	(391)
Net income (loss)	854				850			850	4
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax | Scenario, Previously Reported	664
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax | Restatement Adjustment	23
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	687						599	599	88
Ending Balance (Scenario, Previously Reported) at Dec. 31, 2016	67,480
Ending Balance (Restatement Adjustment)	222
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	67,702	0	12	30,944	34,683	(3,474)	5,366	67,531	171
Preferred stock repurchase premium	0
Treasury stock acquired in connection with share repurchases	(2,927)					(2,927)		(2,927)
Stock-based compensation	167			167				167
Dividends on preferred stock	(103)				(103)			(103)
Dividends on common stock	(1,717)				(1,717)			(1,717)
Stockholders' Equity Note, Spinoff Transaction	(11,666)				(10,346)		(1,320)	(11,666)
Change in equity of noncontrolling interests	9							0	9
Net income (loss)	4,020				4,010			4,010	10
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	3,385						3,381	3,381	4
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 58,870	$ 0	$ 12	$ 31,111	$ 26,527	$ (6,401)	$ 7,427	$ 58,676	$ 194