CONTRACT AND OTHER DEFERRED ASSETS & PROGRESS COLLECTIONS AND DEFERRED INCOME - Schedule of Contract Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Mar. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Contract and other deferred assets		$ 16,136	$ 16,801
GE
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Contract and other deferred assets	[1]	16,168	16,833
Operating Segments | GE
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		9,735	10,011
Deferred inventory costs		2,859	3,267
Nonrecurring engineering costs		2,431	2,391
Customer advances and other		1,111	1,133
Contract and other deferred assets		16,136	16,801
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		10,106	10,338
Billings in excess of revenues		(5,247)	(5,280)
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		4,859	5,058
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		795	717
Operating Segments | GE | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		4,081	4,236
Operating Segments | GE | Power
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		6,191	6,478
Deferred inventory costs		887	943
Nonrecurring engineering costs		49	44
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		7,127	7,465
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		5,197	5,342
Billings in excess of revenues		(1,586)	(1,561)
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		3,611	3,781
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		155	190
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		2,425	2,508
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Products and services, incremental fees
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Customer advances and other		877	909
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,696	1,675
Deferred inventory costs		481	287
Nonrecurring engineering costs		2,306	2,257
Customer advances and other		1,143	1,165
Contract and other deferred assets		5,627	5,384
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		4,909	4,996
Billings in excess of revenues		(3,660)	(3,719)
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,248	1,278
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		389	316
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		60	82
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Products and services, higher usage-based fees | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Billings in excess of revenues		(332)	(308)
Total contract assets		1,777	1,712
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Products and services, incremental fees
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Billings in excess of revenues		(268)	(256)
Customer advances and other		961	986
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,217	1,260
Deferred inventory costs		1,148	1,677
Nonrecurring engineering costs		43	47
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		2,409	2,985
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		0	0
Billings in excess of revenues		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		33	43
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,185	1,217
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		452	492
Deferred inventory costs		342	359
Nonrecurring engineering costs		33	35
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		827	886
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		0	0
Billings in excess of revenues		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		174	169
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		278	324
Operating Segments | GE | Other
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		178	106
Deferred inventory costs		1	0
Nonrecurring engineering costs		0	8
Customer advances and other		(32)	(32)
Contract and other deferred assets		146	82
Operating Segments | GE | Other | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		0	0
Billings in excess of revenues		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Other | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		0	0
Operating Segments | GE | Other | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		45	0
Operating Segments | GE | Other | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		$ 133	$ 106

[1] Represents the adding together of all GE Industrial affiliates and GE Capital continuing operations on a one-line basis. See Note 1.