Investments (Mortgage Loans - Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Unamortized Loan Commitment and Origination Fees and Unamortized Discounts or Premiums	$ 883,000,000		$ 867,000,000
Financing Receivable, Purchase	$ 1,300,000,000	$ 1,400,000,000
Percentage of Mortgage Loans Classified as Performing	99.00%		99.00%
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual	$ 739,000,000		$ 731,000,000
Commercial Mortgage Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Interest Receivable	187,000,000		188,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual	182,000,000		176,000,000	$ 176,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual, No Allowance	0		0
Residential Mortgage Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Interest Receivable	91,000,000		94,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual	391,000,000		418,000,000	436,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual, No Allowance	0		0
Agricultural Mortgage Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Interest Receivable	157,000,000		186,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual	166,000,000		137,000,000	$ 105,000,000
Financing Receivable, Nonaccrual, No Allowance	$ 115,000,000		$ 93,000,000

The percentage of all mortgage loans that are classified as performing.

No definition available.

Name:	met_PercentageOfMortgageLoansClassifiedAsPerforming
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable on nonaccrual status with no allowance for credit loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119407570&loc=SL82919258-210447

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of financing receivable on nonaccrual status.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=d3e5111-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 16
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119407570&loc=SL82919258-210447

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of increase from purchase of financing receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=119407570&loc=SL82919244-210447

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (e)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of interest earned but not received. Also called accrued interest or accrued interest receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.8)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of deferred fees paid by borrowers and unamortized costs incurred to originate loans and leases, unamortized loan commitments and loan syndication fees, and premiums over or discounts from face amounts of loans that are being amortized into income as an adjustment to yield. Excludes amounts for loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6378536&loc=d3e10092-111533

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesByIndustryAxis=us-gaap_AgriculturalSectorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: