POSTRETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS - Estimated Future Benefit Payments, Benefit Plans (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Principal pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2021	$ 3,725
2022	3,785
2023	3,820
2024	3,845
2025	3,865
2026 - 2030	19,410
Other pension
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2021	945
2022	945
2023	955
2024	970
2025	995
2026 - 2030	5,185
Principal retiree benefit
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2021	460
2022	440
2023	420
2024	395
2025	380
2026 - 2030	$ 1,615

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in five fiscal years after fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFiveFiscalYearsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in next fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in fifth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in fourth fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in third fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefit for defined benefit plan expected to be paid in second fiscal year following current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansAndOtherPostretirementBenefitPlansTableTextBlockLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_OtherPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=ge_PrincipalRetireeBenefitPlansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: