Short-Term and Long-Term Debt (Long-Term Debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, Current	$ 1,933	$ 2,451
Long-term debt	18,646	17,378
Senior notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, Current	1,179	1,100
Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	342	341
Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	7,484	6,895
Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	2,265	2,200
Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	10,084	8,774
Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0	29
Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	104	237
Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	241	429
Mortgages | Debt denominated in foreign currency | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	43	101
Mortgages | Debt denominated in foreign currency | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	53	206
Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	7,575	7,568
Subtotal
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	28,395	26,473
Less: assets under set-off arrangements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	9,749	9,095
Line of Credit | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	300	0
Prudential Financial
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt, Current	1,204	1,115
Long-term debt	17,430	16,141
Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	9,912	8,601
Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0	$ 29
Prudential Financial | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	7,518
Subsidiaries | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 57
Minimum | Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	8.30%
Minimum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.52%
Minimum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.48%
Minimum | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	1.35%
Minimum | Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.95%
Minimum | Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.36%
Minimum | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	1.55%
Minimum | Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	1.35%
Minimum | Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.04%
Maximum | Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	8.30%
Maximum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.26%
Maximum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.20%
Maximum | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	11.31%
Maximum | Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.85%
Maximum | Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.67%
Maximum | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.88%
Maximum | Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	6.63%
Maximum | Prudential Financial | Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.95%