This element represents the subtotal of rental receivables, net plus estimated residual value of the leased assets.

No definition available.

Name:	met_InvestmentInLeases
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Investment in Leases before ACL

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	met_InvestmentInLeasesBeforeACL
Namespace Prefix:	met_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The reserve to cover probable credit losses related to specifically identified fixed maturity real estate loans as well as probable credit losses inherent in the remainder of that loan portfolio.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 310
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121581245&loc=d3e21338-158488

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForLoanAndLeaseLossesRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/otherTransitionRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121568338&loc=d3e45377-112738

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of minimum lease payments to be received by the lessor for capital leases in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of deferred selling profit from direct financing lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121576215&loc=SL77919379-209981

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DirectFinancingLeaseDeferredSellingProfit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Present value of lease payments not yet received by lessor and amount expected to be derived from underlying asset, following end of lease term, guaranteed by lessee or other third party unrelated to lessor, from direct financing lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of net investment in direct financing lease.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Present value expected to be derived from underlying asset, following end of lease term, not guaranteed by lessee or other third party unrelated to lessor.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The estimated portion of pretax income and investment tax credit remaining to be allocated to income over the lease term.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121556109&loc=d3e42840-112730

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121579104&loc=SL77920254-209983

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeveragedLeasesNetInvestmentInLeveragedLeasesDisclosureDeferredIncome
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The net investment in arrangements meeting the criteria for classification as leveraged leases including deferred taxes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121579104&loc=SL77920254-209983

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121556109&loc=d3e42840-112730

+ Details

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

- Definition

This element represents leveraged lease rentals receivable, net of that portion of the rental applicable to principal and interest on the nonrecourse debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121579104&loc=SL77920254-209983

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121556109&loc=d3e42840-112730

+ Details

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

- Definition

The estimate of the value of the leased asset at the end of the lease term.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 50
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121579104&loc=SL77920254-209983

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121556109&loc=d3e42840-112730

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LeveragedLeasesNetInvestmentInLeveragedLeasesDisclosureResidualValueOfLeasedAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
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_RealEstateLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

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

Investments (Components of Leveraged and Direct Financing Leases) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Real Estate [Line Items]
Leveraged Leases, Net Investment in Leveraged Leases Disclosure, Rental Receivables, Net	$ 597	$ 666
Leveraged Leases, Net Investment in Leveraged Leases Disclosure, Residual Value of Leased Assets	573	751
Leveraged Leases, Net Investment in Leveraged Leases Disclosure, Deferred Income	(318)	(365)
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	590	353	$ 342	$ 314
Leveraged Leases, Net Investment in Leveraged Leases Disclosure, Investment in Leveraged Leases, Net	816	1,052
Direct Financing Lease, Lease Receivable	2,055	1,931
Direct Financing Lease, Unguaranteed Residual Asset	42	42
Direct Financing Lease, Deferred Selling Profit	(749)	(726)
Direct Financing Lease, Net Investment in Lease	1,340	1,247
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable, Next Twelve Months	27
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Receivable in Two Years	103
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Receivable in Three Years	112
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Receivable in Four Years	119
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Receivable in Five Years	102
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Receivable Thereafter	1,600
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Receivable	2,100
Leveraged Leases
Real Estate [Line Items]
Investment In Leveraged Leases	1,170	1,417
Investment in Leases before ACL	852	1,052
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	36	0
Direct Financing Leases
Real Estate [Line Items]
Investment In Leveraged Leases	2,097	1,973
Investment in Leases before ACL	1,348	1,247
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses, Real Estate	$ 8	$ 0