Name:	met_DebtSecuritiesAvailableForSaleWithGrossUnrealizedLossOfEqualToOrGreaterThanStatedPercentage
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

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a continuous loss position for twelve months or longer.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesContinuousUnrealizedLossPosition12MonthsOrLongerAccumulatedLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale in a continuous loss position.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82897076&loc=d3e27337-111563

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

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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-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

Amount before tax, after reclassification adjustments, of appreciation (loss) in value of unsold available-for-sale securities. Excludes amounts related to other than temporary impairment (OTTI) loss.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 10A
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114867106&loc=SL7669646-108580

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

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_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
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_ExternalCreditRatingNonInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: