Market Risk Benefits Rollforward (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market Risk Benefit, Beginning Balance	$ 3,483
Market Risk Benefit, Ending Balance	3,642
Retirement Assurance | Asia
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market Risk Benefit, Beginning Balance	226	$ 277
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	233	284
Attributed fees collected	1	1
Effect of changes in interest rates	7	(7)
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	(7)	2
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	(8)	(15)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	226	265
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(5)	(8)
Market Risk Benefit, Ending Balance	221	257
Retirement Assurance | Asia | Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit [Member]
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	0	0
Retirement Assurance | Asia | Annuitization Benefit [Member]
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 121	$ 120
Weighted-average attained age of contractholders	58 years	57 years
Variable Annuity [Member] | MetLife Holdings
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market Risk Benefit, Beginning Balance	$ 3,225	$ 5,929
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	3,360	6,229
Attributed fees collected	98	100
Benefit payments	11	10
Effect of changes in interest rates	368	(1,362)
Effect of changes in capital markets	(358)	252
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(132)	43
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	29	(18)
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	232	(117)
Effect of changes in risk margin	3	(90)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	3,589	5,027
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(229)	(207)
Effect of foreign currency translation on the cumulative instrument-specific credit risk	1
Market Risk Benefit, Ending Balance	3,361	4,820
Variable Annuity [Member] | MetLife Holdings | Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefit [Member]
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 3,619	$ 2,017
Weighted-average attained age of contractholders	70 years	70 years
Variable Annuity [Member] | MetLife Holdings | Annuitization Benefit [Member]
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 897	$ 762
Weighted-average attained age of contractholders	71 years	70 years
Insurance, Other
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Market Risk Benefit, Beginning Balance	$ 32	$ 491
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	24	539
Attributed fees collected	8	16
Benefit payments	(15)	0
Effect of changes in interest rates	61	(167)
Effect of changes in capital markets	(24)	28
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(4)	11
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	(21)	(3)
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	34	(51)
Effect of changes in risk margin		(2)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	63	371
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(3)	(34)
Effect of foreign currency translation on the cumulative instrument-specific credit risk		1
Market Risk Benefit, Ending Balance	60	338
Less: Reinsurance recoverable	25	32
Balance, end of period, net of reinsurance	$ 35	$ 306