Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) - Allowance for Losses for Commercial Mortgage Loans (Details) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($) loan
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Balance as of January 1	$ 0
Credit losses on securities for which credit losses were not previously recorded	17
Initial allowance for credit losses recognized on financial assets accounted for as PCD	0
Increase (decrease) on securities with allowance recorded in previous period	0
Write-offs	0
Recoveries of amounts previously written off	0
Balance as of June 30	$ 17
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Number of Loans \| loan	578
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Amortized cost	$ 1,249
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Transfer to the Comfort Trust	11
Commercial Portfolio Segment
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Balance as of January 1	16
Credit losses on securities for which credit losses were not previously recorded	4
Initial allowance for credit losses recognized on financial assets accounted for as PCD	0
Increase (decrease) on securities with allowance recorded in previous period	54
Provision for expected credit losses	74
Write-offs	0
Recoveries of amounts previously written off	0
Balance as of June 30	$ 74
Commercial Portfolio Segment \| COVID-19 Pandemic
Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses [Roll Forward]
Financing Receivable, Payment Forbearance Provided, Percent of Outstanding Principal Amount Of Loans	8.00%

Amount of increase (decrease) in allowance for credit loss on accounts receivable.

Name:	us-gaap_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsReceivablePeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase in allowance for credit loss on financing receivable purchased with credit deterioration.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossPurchasedWithCreditDeteriorationIncrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after recovery, of writeoff of financing receivable, charged against allowance for credit loss.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossWriteoffAfterRecovery
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of allowance for credit loss on financing receivable. Excludes allowance for financing receivable covered under loss sharing agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(7)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120398452&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82895884-210446

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLosses
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of writeoff of financing receivable, charged against allowance for credit loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121611835&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 79
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922352-210448

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableAllowanceForCreditLossesWriteOffs
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss on financing receivable, from change in present value of expected cash flows.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919246-210447

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599878&loc=SL82919204-210446

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivableChangeInPresentValueExpenseReversal
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120395209&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Amortized cost

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	voya_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerAvailableForSaleIncludedInIndividualLifeTransactionAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	voya_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Number of Loans

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	voya_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerAvailableForSaleIncludedInIndividualLifeTransactionNumberOfLoans
Namespace Prefix:	voya_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Commercial and Consumer, Available-for-sale, Included in Individual Life Transaction, Transfer to the Comfort Trust

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	voya_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateCommercialAndConsumerAvailableForSaleIncludedInIndividualLifeTransactionTransferToTheComfortTrust
Namespace Prefix:	voya_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Mortgage Loans On Real Estate, Payment Forbearance Provided, Percent of Outstanding Principal Amount Of Loans

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	voya_MortgageLoansOnRealEstatePaymentForbearanceProvidedPercentOfOutstandingPrincipalAmountOfLoans
Namespace Prefix:	voya_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnusualOrInfrequentItemAxis=voya_COVID19PandemicMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: