Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Assets
Amortized Cost	$ 310,884	$ 310,811
Amortized cost of fixed maturity securities valuation allowances	91	81
Mortgage loans valuation allowances	634	590
Residential mortgage loans — FVO	79,353	83,919
Real estate and real estate joint ventures (includes $240 and $169, respectively, under the fair value option and $175 and $128, respectively, of real estate held-for-sale)	12,216	11,933
Real Estate Held-for-sale	175	128
Other Invested Assets - Leveraged and Direct Financing Leases	1,930	2,156
Other invested assets, at estimated fair value	18,655	20,593
Net Investment in Lease, Allowance for Credit Loss	$ 40	$ 44
MetLife, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred Stock, Liquidation Preference, Value	$ 3,905	$ 4,405
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	3,000,000,000	3,000,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	1,186,540,473	1,181,614,288
Common stock, shares outstanding	825,540,267	892,910,600
Treasury stock, shares	361,000,206	288,703,688
Residential mortgage loans - FVO
Assets
Residential mortgage loans — FVO	$ 127	$ 165
Real estate and real estate joint venture [Member]
Assets
Real estate and real estate joint ventures (includes $240 and $169, respectively, under the fair value option and $175 and $128, respectively, of real estate held-for-sale)	240	169
Variable interest entities
Assets
Other invested assets, at estimated fair value	$ 351	$ 332