Market Risk Benefits Rollforward (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2024	Jun. 30, 2023
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ 2,893
Ending balance	2,262
Retirement Assurance | Asia
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Beginning balance	203	$ 226
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	205	233
Attributed fees collected	2	1
Benefit payments	(6)	(7)
Effect of changes in interest rates	4	3
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	(1)	0
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	(26)	(23)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	178	207
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(1)	(5)
Ending balance	177	202
Retirement Assurance | Asia | At annuitization or exercise of other living benefits
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 111	$ 110
Average attained age of policyholders	58 years	58 years
Variable Annuity | MetLife Holdings
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ 2,722	$ 3,225
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	2,772	3,360
Attributed fees collected	179	193
Benefit payments	(45)	(21)
Effect of changes in interest rates	(556)	23
Effect of changes in capital markets	(372)	(661)
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	26	(109)
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	132	57
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	5	131
Effect of changes in risk margin	(62)	(35)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	2,079	2,938
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	76	(150)
Effect of foreign currency translation on the cumulative instrument-specific credit risk	(2)	5
Ending balance	2,153	2,793
Variable Annuity | MetLife Holdings | In the event of death
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 2,544	$ 3,254
Average attained age of policyholders	71 years	70 years
Variable Annuity | MetLife Holdings | At annuitization or exercise of other living benefits
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Net amount at risk	$ 671	$ 793
Average attained age of policyholders	70 years	70 years
Insurance, Other
Market Risk Benefit [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$ (32)	$ 32
Balance, beginning of period, before effect of cumulative changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(50)	24
Attributed fees collected	25	16
Benefit payments	(3)	(18)
Effect of changes in interest rates	(46)	(26)
Effect of changes in capital markets	(15)	(14)
Effect of changes in equity index volatility	(1)	(4)
Actual policyholder behavior different from expected behavior	4	(22)
Effect of foreign currency translation and other, net	(2)	17
Effect of changes in risk margin	(1)	(1)
Balance, end of period, before the cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	(89)	(28)
Cumulative effect of changes in the instrument-specific credit risk	21	12
Effect of foreign currency translation on the cumulative instrument-specific credit risk	0	1
Ending balance	(68)	(15)
Less: Reinsurance recoverable	11	18
Balance, end of period, net of reinsurance	$ (79)	$ (33)