Borrowings (GE Capital Debt Exchange) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions			9 Months Ended
		Oct. 26, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 02, 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings			$ 31,571	$ 49,860
Total long-term borrowings			115,686	144,659
Total short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings			149,432	197,602
Outstanding notes being tendered for exchange and settled		$ 35,999
Outstanding principal		31,154
Premium		$ 4,846
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date		Apr. 15, 2016
GE Capital
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings	[1]		24,444	48,617
Total long-term borrowings	[1]		99,828	128,478
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings			59,798	$ 84,704
Changes in total of short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings			(5,002)
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE | Borrowings Assumed By GE
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings			64,800		$ 92,537
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE | Borrowings Guaranteed By GE
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term borrowings			$ 53,527
GE Capital | Six Months Notes due 4/15/2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings					$ 16,372

[1] On December 2, 2015, senior unsecured notes and commercial paper was assumed by GE upon its merger with GE Capital resulting in an intercompany payable to GE. The short-term borrowings were $ 10,074 million (which includes an offset of $5,002 million short-term loan from GE Cap ital to GE ) and $17,642 million and t he long-term borrowings were $49,723 million and $67,062 million at September 30 , 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. See Note 9 for additional information.