Investments (Securities Lending and Repurchase Agreements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Cash collateral on deposit from counterparties	$ 13,471	$ 21,055
Reinvestment portfolio - estimated fair value	13,091	21,319
Estimated fair value
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Securities loaned	13,117	20,654
Repurchase Agreements
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Cash collateral on deposit from counterparties	3,125	3,325
Reinvestment portfolio - estimated fair value	3,043	3,357
Repurchase Agreements \| Estimated fair value
Securities Financing Transaction [Line Items]
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	$ 3,160	$ 3,416

This element represents the estimated fair value of the securities lending reinvestment portfolio.

No definition available.

Name:	met_SecuritiesLendingReinvestmentPortfolioEstimatedFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	met_
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_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of securities loaned to entities in exchange for collateral. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, after the effects of master netting arrangements, of funds outstanding borrowed in the form of a security repurchase agreement between the entity and another party for the sale and repurchase of identical or substantially the same securities at a date certain for a specified price. Includes liabilities not subject to a master netting arrangement and not elected to be offset.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(m)(1)(i))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 10
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226008-175313

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(m)(1)(ii)(A)(i))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395691&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13(1))
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=126897435&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

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

- Definition

Carrying amount of liabilities associated with financial assets accounted for as secured borrowings recognized in the transferor's statement of financial position at the end of each period presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(ii)
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionAxis=us-gaap_SecuritiesFinancingTransactionFairValueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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