BORROWINGS - Schedule of Short-term and Long-term Borrowings, Long-term (Details) - USD ($)		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 02, 2015
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		$ 28,127,000,000	$ 30,714,000,000
Eliminations		(11,800,000,000)	(13,212,000,000)
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		107,557,000,000	105,080,000,000
Eliminations		(33,191,000,000)	(47,173,000,000)
Total borrowings		136,392,000,000	136,210,000,000
Amounts included in GE Capital		2,529,000,000
Total short-term assumed debt excluding intercompany loans		9,971,000,000	13,024,000,000
Total long-term assumed debt excluding intercompany loans		$ 39,893,000,000	47,084,000,000
Weighted average interest rate		3.50%
Weighted average term of intercompany loans		15 years
Current portion of long-term borrowings		$ 708,000,000	417,000,000
GE
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		18,748,000,000	20,482,000,000
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		65,097,000,000	58,810,000,000
GE | GE borrowings
Long-term borrowings
GE borrowings excluding assumed debt of GE Capital		41,252,000,000	20,512,000,000
GE | Commercial paper
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		2,000,000,000	1,500,000,000
GE | Current portion of long-term borrowings
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		14,623,000,000	17,109,000,000
GE | Other
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		2,125,000,000	1,874,000,000
GE Capital
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		21,179,000,000	23,443,000,000
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		75,651,000,000	93,443,000,000
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE
Long-term borrowings
Short-term intercompany loans from GE Capital to GE		0	1,329,000,000
Long-term intercompany loans from GE Capital to GE		7,271,000,000	0
GE Capital | Funding secured by aircraft and other collateral
Long-term borrowings
Amounts included in GE Capital		1,653,000,000	2,665,000,000
GE Capital | Non-recourse to GE Capital
Long-term borrowings
Amounts included in GE Capital		477,000,000	1,419,000,000
GE Capital | Commercial paper
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		5,021,000,000	5,002,000,000
GE Capital | Current portion of long-term borrowings
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		5,627,000,000	6,517,000,000
GE Capital | Intercompany Payable To GE
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		9,971,000,000	11,696,000,000
GE Capital | Other
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings		561,000,000	229,000,000
Consolidated securitization entities
Short-term borrowings
Total short-term borrowings	[1]	21,179,000,000	23,443,000,000
Long-term borrowings
Current portion of long-term borrowings		708,000,000	417,000,000
Consolidated securitization entities | Intercompany Payable To GE
Long-term borrowings
GE borrowings excluding assumed debt of GE Capital		42,593,000,000	58,780,000,000
Non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities | Current portion of long-term borrowings
Long-term borrowings
Current portion of long-term borrowings		222,000,000	320,000,000
Non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities | Consolidated securitization entities
Long-term borrowings
GE borrowings excluding assumed debt of GE Capital		44,526,000,000		$ 92,537,000,000
Intercompany Payable To GE | GE Capital
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		32,623,000,000	47,084,000,000
Senior notes | GE
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		60,314,000,000	54,396,000,000
Senior notes | GE Capital
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		41,467,000,000	44,131,000,000
Senior notes | BHGE
Long-term borrowings
Current portion of long-term borrowings issued by Baker Hughes		202,000,000
Senior notes issued by Baker Hughes		2,923,000,000
Subordinated notes | GE
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		2,938,000,000	2,768,000,000
Subordinated notes | GE Capital
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		214,000,000	236,000,000
Subordinated debentures | GE
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		382,000,000	719,000,000
Other | GE
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		1,463,000,000	928,000,000
Other | GE Capital
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		1,347,000,000	1,992,000,000
Non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities | Consolidated securitization entities
Long-term borrowings
Total long-term borrowings		$ 708,000,000	$ 417,000,000

[1] In 2015, senior unsecured notes and commercial paper were assumed by GE upon its merger with GE Capital, resulting in an intercompany receivable and payable between GE and GE Capital. See Note 10.