BUSINESSES HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Financial Information for Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Operations
Sales of goods and services		$ 0	$ 4,478	$ 0	$ 16,596
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)		43	16	38	7
Cost of goods and services sold		0	(3,686)	0	(13,795)
Other income, costs and expenses		(57)	(686)	(209)	(2,550)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes		(14)	121	(171)	258
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(12)	(14)	(12)	178
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations, net of taxes		(26)	107	(184)	436
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes		(8)	(8,677)	(22)	(5,160)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(1)	477	(1)	(488)
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes		(9)	(8,201)	(23)	(5,648)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(35)	(8,093)	(206)	(5,212)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations attributable to the Company after income taxes		(26)	61	(181)	378
Assets
Assets		3,587		3,587		$ 4,109
Liabilities
Liabilities		288		288		203
Baker Hughes disposal group
Operations
Sales of goods and services		0	4,478	0	16,047
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Cost of goods and services sold		0	(3,686)	0	(13,317)
Other income, costs and expenses		4	(618)	1	(2,386)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes		4	175	1	345
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(5)	(50)	(15)	(165)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations, net of taxes		0	125	(14)	179
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes		0	(8,667)	(13)	(8,667)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0	477	0	477
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes		0	(8,190)	(13)	(8,190)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes		0	(8,066)	(27)	(8,011)
Transportation
Operations
Sales of goods and services		0	0	0	549
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)		0	0	0	0
Cost of goods and services sold		0	0	0	(478)
Other income, costs and expenses		2	(16)	(1)	(22)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes		2	(16)	(1)	49
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0	6	7	(13)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations, net of taxes		2	(9)	6	36
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes		(12)	0	(12)	3,471
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		0	0	0	(963)
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes		(12)	0	(12)	2,508
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(10)	(9)	(6)	2,544
GE Capital
Operations
Sales of goods and services		0	0	0	0
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)		43	16	38	7
Cost of goods and services sold		0	0	0	0
Other income, costs and expenses		(63)	(53)	(209)	(142)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes		(20)	(37)	(171)	(136)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(8)	29	(4)	356
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations, net of taxes		(28)	(8)	(175)	220
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes		3	(10)	3	36
Benefit (provision) for income taxes		(1)	0	(1)	(2)
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes		2	(10)	2	35
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(26)	(18)	(173)	$ 255
Discontinued Operations
Assets
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		508		508		638
Investment securities		0		0		202
Current receivables		61		61		81
Financing receivables held for sale (Polish mortgage portfolio)		2,469		2,469		2,485
Property, plant, and equipment		107		107		123
Deferred income taxes		226		226		264
All other assets		217		217		317
Assets		3,587		3,587		4,109
Liabilities
Accounts payable & Progress collections and deferred income		15		15		40
All other liabilities		273		273		163
Liabilities		288		288		203
Discontinued Operations | Baker Hughes disposal group
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes			(8,715)
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes			$ (8,238)
Discontinued Operations | Transportation
Disposal
Gain (loss) on disposal before income taxes	$ 3,471
Gain (loss) on disposal, net of taxes	$ 2,508
Discontinued Operations | GE Capital
Assets
Assets		3,434		3,434
Liabilities
Liabilities		129		129
GE Capital Exit Plan | Discontinued Operations
Liabilities
Discontinued operations, intercompany tax receivables		$ 734		$ 734		$ 839