Investments (Net Investment Income) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Less: Investment expenses	$ 356	$ 302
Net investment income	4,908	3,745
Fixed Maturity Securities
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	2,939	2,896
Equity Securities
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	17	16
FVO Securities
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	55	6
Mortgage loans
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	912	792
Policy loans
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	128	124
Real Estate and Real Estate Joint Ventures
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	130	168
Other limited partnership interests
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	123	207
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	128	72
Operating joint ventures
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	18	13
Other
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	78	106
Securities Investment
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Gross Investment Income, Operating	4,528	4,400
Net investment income	4,172	4,098
FVO contractholder-directed unit-linked investments
Net Investment Income [Line Items]
Net investment income	736	(353)
Changes in estimated fair value included in net investment income	$ 648	$ (373)

Amount, before investment expense, of income earned from investments in securities and real estate. Includes, but is not limited to, real estate investment, policy loans, dividends, and interest. Excludes realized gain (loss) on investments.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of expenses related to the generation of investment income.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.9)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04.2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, after investment expense, of income earned from investments in securities and real estate. Includes, but is not limited to, real estate investment, policy loans, dividends, and interest. Excludes realized gain (loss) on investments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

+ Details

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

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

- Definition

Amount of unrealized holding gain (loss) recognized in the income statement for investments in debt and equity securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests classified as trading.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=met_ActivelyTradedSecuritiesAtEstimatedFairValueAndFVOSecuritiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_PolicyLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_RealEstateInvestmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=srt_PartnershipInterestMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=met_InternationalJointVentureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_SecuritiesInvestmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=met_FairValueOptionContractholderDirectedUnitLinkedInvestmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: