GECC Financing Receivables and Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables (Allowance for Losses on Financing Receivables ) (Details) (Subsidiaries GECC [Member], USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010 Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Americas CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Americas CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Americas CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Americas CLL Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Europe CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Europe CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Europe CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Europe CLL Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Asia CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Asia CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Asia CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Asia CLL Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other CLL Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] CLL Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] CLL Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Energy Financial Services Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Energy Financial Services Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Energy Financial Services Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Energy Financial Services Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] GECAS Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] GECAS Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] GECAS Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] GECAS Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other Financing Receivables [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other Financing Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Portfolio Segment [Member] Other Financing Receivables [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Debt Real Estate [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Debt Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Debt Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Debt Real Estate [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Business Properties Real Estate [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Business Properties Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Business Properties Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Segment [Member] Business Properties Real Estate [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US residential mortgages [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US residential mortgages [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US residential mortgages [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US residential mortgages [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US installment and revolving credit [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] US installment and revolving credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] US installment and revolving credit [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US auto [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US auto [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US auto [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Non US auto [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Consumer Other Financing Receivable [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Consumer Other Financing Receivable [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Consumer Other Financing Receivable [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Consumer Portfolio Segment [Member] Consumer Other Financing Receivable [Member] Scenario, Adjustment [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total balance	$ 5,714	$ 7,487	$ 6,190	$ 7,919	$ 1,433	$ 2,034	$ 1,530	$ 2,045	$ 802	$ 1,254	$ 889	$ 1,288	$ 458	$ 443	$ 400	$ 429	$ 112	$ 228	$ 157	$ 222	$ 2	$ 6	$ 4	$ 6	$ 1,374	$ 1,931	$ 1,450	$ 1,945	$ 25	$ 36	$ 26	$ 22	$ 14	$ 12	$ 17	$ 20	$ 20	$ 55	$ 37	$ 58	$ 929	$ 1,299	$ 1,089	$ 1,488	$ 812	$ 1,118	$ 949	$ 1,292	$ 117	$ 181	$ 140	$ 196	$ 3,352	$ 4,154	$ 3,571	$ 4,386	$ 498	$ 692	$ 546	$ 689	$ 726	$ 930	$ 717	$ 937	$ 1,845	$ 2,141	$ 2,008	$ 2,333	$ 88	$ 152	$ 101	$ 168	$ 195	$ 239	$ 199	$ 259
Provision charged	863	1,140			158	244			66	139			83	30			11	60			0	0			160	229			(1)	19			(3)	(8)			2	4			38	85			28	59			10	26			667	811			29	21			124	153			478	585			10	15			26	37
Other	(9)	81			(43)	22			(20)	(1)			1	19			(5)	4			0	0			(24)	22			0	(1)			0	0			(19)	1			(12)	6			(12)	7			0	(1)			46	53			8	21			28	23			0	0			(6)	5			16	4
Gross write-offs	(1,702)	(2,059)			(259)	(326)			(156)	(194)			(45)	(51)			(56)	(69)			(2)	0			(259)	(314)			0	(4)			0	0			0	(8)			(188)	(285)			(154)	(243)			(34)	(42)			(1,255)	(1,448)			(103)	(54)			(273)	(327)			(772)	(913)			(41)	(68)			(66)	(86)
Recoveries	$ 372	$ 406			$ 47	$ 49			$ 23	$ 22			$ 19	$ 16			$ 5	$ 11			$ 0	$ 0			$ 47	$ 49			$ 0	$ 0			$ 0	$ 0			$ 0	$ 0			$ 2	$ 5			$ 1	$ 3			$ 1	$ 2			$ 323	$ 352			$ 18	$ 15			$ 130	$ 144			$ 131	$ 136			$ 24	$ 32			$ 20	$ 25