Financial Statements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Financial Statements Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Citizens, Inc. ("Citizens"), a Colorado corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CICA Life Insurance Company of America ("CICA"), Security Plan Life Insurance Company ("SPLIC"), Security Plan Fire Insurance Company ("SPFIC"), Citizens National Life Insurance Company ("CNLIC"), Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Company ("MGLIC"), Computing Technology, Inc. ("CTI") and Insurance Investors, Inc. ("III"). Citizens and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are collectively referred to as "the Company," "we," "us" or "our." The consolidated statement of financial position for March 31, 2017, and the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and changes in cash flows at March 31, 2017 and for comparative periods have been made. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, the financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, for the year ended December 31, 2016. Operating results for the interim periods disclosed herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any future period. We provide primarily life insurance and a small amount of health insurance policies through our insurance subsidiaries: CICA, SPLIC, MGLIC and CNLIC. CICA and CNLIC issue ordinary whole-life policies, credit life and disability, burial insurance, pre-need policies, and accident and health related policies, throughout the Midwest and southern United States. CICA also issues ordinary whole-life and endowment policies to non-U.S. residents. SPLIC offers final expense and home service life insurance in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, and SPFIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPLIC, writes a limited amount of property insurance in Louisiana. MGLIC provides industrial life policies through independent funeral homes in Mississippi. CTI provides data processing systems and services, as well as furniture and equipment, to the Company. III provides aviation transportation to the Company, though the Company-owned airplane is not being used and is for sale. Immaterial Error Correction Related to Prior Interim Periods In the course of preparing its consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company identified immaterial errors in its previously filed financial statements. The errors were in the Company’s accounting for DAC and future policy benefits in the life insurance segment and several other immaterial errors in our other two segments. Corrections of those errors for the interim period ended March 31, 2016 increased the Company's net loss by $442 thousand and increased the basic loss per share of class A common stock by $0.01. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with U.S. GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The most significant estimates include those used in the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on debt and equity securities and valuation allowances on investments, actuarially determined assets and liabilities and assumptions, goodwill impairment, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, and contingencies relating to litigation and regulatory matters. Certain of these estimates are particularly sensitive to market conditions, and deterioration and/or volatility in the worldwide debt or equity markets could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Significant Accounting Policies For a description of significant accounting policies, see Note 1 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which should be read in conjunction with these accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Financial Statements

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Citizens, Inc. ("Citizens"), a Colorado corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CICA Life Insurance Company of America ("CICA"), Security Plan Life Insurance Company ("SPLIC"), Security Plan Fire Insurance Company ("SPFIC"), Citizens National Life Insurance Company ("CNLIC"), Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Company ("MGLIC"), Computing Technology, Inc. ("CTI") and Insurance Investors, Inc. ("III"). Citizens and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are collectively referred to as "the Company," "we," "us" or "our."

The consolidated statement of financial position for March 31, 2017, and the consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 and cash flows for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all adjustments to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and changes in cash flows at March 31, 2017 and for comparative periods have been made. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, the financial statements do not include all of the information and footnotes required for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and notes thereto, for the year ended December 31, 2016. Operating results for the interim periods disclosed herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any future period.

We provide primarily life insurance and a small amount of health insurance policies through our insurance subsidiaries: CICA, SPLIC, MGLIC and CNLIC. CICA and CNLIC issue ordinary whole-life policies, credit life and disability, burial insurance, pre-need policies, and accident and health related policies, throughout the Midwest and southern United States. CICA also issues ordinary whole-life and endowment policies to non-U.S. residents. SPLIC offers final expense and home service life insurance in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, and SPFIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPLIC, writes a limited amount of property insurance in Louisiana. MGLIC provides industrial life policies through independent funeral homes in Mississippi.

CTI provides data processing systems and services, as well as furniture and equipment, to the Company. III provides aviation transportation to the Company, though the Company-owned airplane is not being used and is for sale.

Immaterial Error Correction Related to Prior Interim Periods

In the course of preparing its consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company identified immaterial errors in its previously filed financial statements. The errors were in the Company’s accounting for DAC and future policy benefits in the life insurance segment and several other immaterial errors in our other two segments. Corrections of those errors for the interim period ended March 31, 2016 increased the Company's net loss by $442 thousand and increased the basic loss per share of class A common stock by $0.01.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements, in conformity with U.S. GAAP, requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The most significant estimates include those used in the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on debt and equity securities and valuation allowances on investments, actuarially determined assets and liabilities and assumptions, goodwill impairment, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, and contingencies relating to litigation and regulatory matters. Certain of these estimates are particularly sensitive to market conditions, and deterioration and/or volatility in the worldwide debt or equity markets could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

For a description of significant accounting policies, see Note 1 of the notes to consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which should be read in conjunction with these accompanying consolidated financial statements.