UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Ordinary Shares Voting Common Stock	Ordinary Shares Series A Non-Voting Convertible Ordinary Shares	Ordinary Shares Series C Non-Voting Convertible Ordinary Shares	Ordinary Shares Series E Non-Voting Convertible Ordinary Shares	Preferred Stock Series C Preferred Shares	Treasury Shares	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Currency translation adjustment	Defined benefit pension liability	Unrealized gains (losses) on investments	Retained Earnings	Noncontrolling Interest (excludes redeemable noncontrolling interests)	Foreign currency translation adjustments	Net movement in unrealized holding losses on investments
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2014		$ 15,761	$ 2,973		$ 714	$ 0		$ 1,321,715	$ (12,686)	$ (2,779)	$ (7,726)	$ (2,181)	$ 1,395,206	$ 217,970
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issue of shares		54
Issue of shares and warrants								911
Conversion of shares		12	0		(12)	0		0
Amortization of equity incentive plan								2,821
Equity attributable to Enstar Group Limited on acquisition of noncontrolling shareholders’ interest in subsidiaries								39,569
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	$ (14,925)									(10,227)		(1,809)			$ (1,558)	$ (123)
Purchase (sale) of noncontrolling shareholders' interest in subsidiaries										2,937		312		(182,819)
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests to redemption value													0
Dividends paid														680
Contribution of capital														(323)
Net earnings attributable to Enstar Group Limited													59,392	291
Balance, end of period at Jun. 30, 2015		15,827	2,973	$ 2,726	702	0	$ (421,559)	1,365,016	(21,473)	(10,069)		(3,678)	1,454,598	34,118
Balance, beginning of period at Dec. 31, 2015	2,520,783	16,133	2,973		405	0		1,373,044	(35,162)	(23,790)	$ (7,723)	(3,649)	1,578,312	3,911
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Issue of shares		34
Issue of shares and warrants								360
Conversion of shares		0	(2,973)		0	389		2,584
Amortization of equity incentive plan								602
Equity attributable to Enstar Group Limited on acquisition of noncontrolling shareholders’ interest in subsidiaries								0
Change in other comprehensive income (loss)	15,282									6,053		7,582			$ 0	$ 0
Purchase (sale) of noncontrolling shareholders' interest in subsidiaries										0		0		0
Accretion of redeemable noncontrolling interests to redemption value													(1,803)
Dividends paid														0
Contribution of capital														0
Net earnings attributable to Enstar Group Limited													86,114	(270)
Balance, end of period at Jun. 30, 2016	$ 2,619,455	$ 16,167	$ 0	$ 2,726	$ 405	$ 389	$ (421,559)	$ 1,376,590	$ (21,527)	$ (17,737)		$ 3,933	$ 1,662,623	$ 3,641