Shareowners' Equity (Shares of GE Preferred Stock - Other) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 20, 2016	Dec. 03, 2015
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)	$ 6	$ 6	$ 0		$ 5,944
Preferred stock, shares issued	5,944,250	5,944,250
Average dividend rate			6.44%
Quarterly dividends paid by GECC to GE	$ 20,118	$ 4,311	$ 3,000
Dividends preferred stock cash	332	8
Accretion of dividends	232
Dividends preferred stock total	656	$ 18
Series A, B and C
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)			$ 5,000
Dividends preferred stock cash	37
Series A
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)				$ 2,687	2,778
Preferred stock outstanding				91
Series B
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)				2,008	2,073
Preferred stock outstanding				64
Series C
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)				999	$ 1,094
Preferred stock outstanding				95
Series D
Class Of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock value (5,944,250 shares outstanding at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015)				$ 5,694
Accretion of dividends	129
Dividends preferred stock total	$ 195