CONTRACT AND OTHER DEFERRED ASSETS & PROGRESS COLLECTIONS AND DEFERRED INCOME - Schedule of Contract Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Contract and other deferred assets		$ 15,571	$ 16,801
GE
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Contract and other deferred assets	[1]	15,604	16,833
Operating Segments | GE
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		9,251	10,011
Deferred inventory costs		2,748	3,267
Nonrecurring engineering costs		2,478	2,391
Customer advances and other		1,094	1,133
Contract and other deferred assets		15,571	16,801
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		9,429	10,338
Billings in excess of revenues		(5,320)	(5,280)
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		4,110	5,058
Operating Segments | GE | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		744	717
Operating Segments | GE | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		4,397	4,236
Operating Segments | GE | Power
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		6,521	6,478
Deferred inventory costs		898	943
Nonrecurring engineering costs		22	44
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		7,441	7,465
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		5,282	5,342
Billings in excess of revenues		(1,566)	(1,561)
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		3,716	3,781
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		138	190
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		2,667	2,508
Operating Segments | GE | Power | Products and services, incremental fees
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Customer advances and other		850	909
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		770	1,675
Deferred inventory costs		496	287
Nonrecurring engineering costs		2,384	2,257
Customer advances and other		1,127	1,165
Contract and other deferred assets		4,776	5,384
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Revenues in excess of billings		4,147	4,996
Billings in excess of revenues		(3,754)	(3,719)
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements | Long-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		394	1,278
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Service agreements | Short-term
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		300	316
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		77	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		(294)	(308)
Total contract assets		1,858	1,712
Operating Segments | GE | Aviation | Products and services, incremental fees
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Billings in excess of revenues		(264)	(256)
Customer advances and other		947	986
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,259	1,260
Deferred inventory costs		1,001	1,677
Nonrecurring engineering costs		39	47
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		2,299	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		94	43
Operating Segments | GE | Renewable Energy | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		1,164	1,217
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		490	492
Deferred inventory costs		353	359
Nonrecurring engineering costs		33	35
Customer advances and other		0	0
Contract and other deferred assets		876	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		182	169
Operating Segments | GE | Healthcare | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		308	324
Operating Segments | GE | Other
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		211	106
Deferred inventory costs		0	0
Nonrecurring engineering costs		0	8
Customer advances and other		(32)	(32)
Contract and other deferred assets		179	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		30	0
Operating Segments | GE | Other | Equipment contract revenue
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Total contract assets		$ 181	$ 106

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