Equity (Details 10) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	$ 1,428,000,000	$ 1,350,000,000	$ 1,321,000,000
Paid	1,023,000,000	1,321,000,000
In-kind dividend		170,000,000
American Life Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	523,000,000	168,000,000	661,000,000
Paid	1,300,000,000	661,000,000
Total amount of dividend pre-approved by regulatory agency	1,500,000,000
MetLife Insurance Company Of Connecticut [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	1,330,000,000	504,000,000	517,000,000
Paid	504,000,000	517,000,000
Total dividends paid	706,000,000
In-kind dividend	202,000,000
Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	74,000,000	0	0
Paid	100,000,000	30,000,000
Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	77,000,000	82,000,000	80,000,000
Paid	82,000,000	80,000,000
MetLife Investors Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	129,000,000	18,000,000	0
Paid	18,000,000	0
Delaware American Life Insurance Company [Member]
Disclosure Of Dividends [Line Items]
Permitted w/o Approval	7,000,000	12,000,000	0
Paid	$ 0	$ 0