BUSINESSES HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Financial Information for Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operations
Sales of goods and services	$ 0	$ 16,598	$ 26,757
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)	55	33	(1,347)
Cost of goods and services sold	0	(13,795)	(22,007)
Other income, costs and expenses	(249)	(2,650)	(4,360)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes	(195)	186	(958)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	101	153	(408)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(93)	339	(1,366)
Disposals
Gain (loss) on disposals before income taxes	(31)	(5,183)	4
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(1)	(491)	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposals, net of taxes	(32)	(5,675)	3
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(125)	(5,335)	(1,363)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations attributable to the Company after income taxes	(94)	279	(1,367)
Baker Hughes
Operations
Sales of goods and services	0	16,047	22,859
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)	0	0	0
Cost of goods and services sold	0	(13,317)	(19,198)
Other income, costs and expenses	2	(2,390)	(3,346)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes	2	340	315
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(13)	(176)	(347)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(10)	165	(33)
Disposals
Gain (loss) on disposals before income taxes	(23)	(8,715)	0
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0	477	0
Gain (loss) on disposals, net of taxes	(23)	(8,238)	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(33)	(8,074)	(33)
Transportation and Other
Operations
Sales of goods and services	0	550	3,898
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)	0	0	0
Cost of goods and services sold	0	(478)	(2,809)
Other income, costs and expenses	0	(19)	(607)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes	0	53	482
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	9	(15)	(143)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	9	39	339
Disposals
Gain (loss) on disposals before income taxes	(12)	3,471	0
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0	(963)	0
Gain (loss) on disposals, net of taxes	(12)	2,508	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(3)	2,547	339
GE Capital
Operations
Sales of goods and services	0	0	0
GE Capital revenues and other income (loss)	55	33	(1,347)
Cost of goods and services sold	0	0	0
Other income, costs and expenses	(252)	(240)	(407)
Earnings (loss) of discontinued operations before income taxes	(197)	(207)	(1,755)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	105	344	82
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	(92)	136	(1,673)
Disposals
Gain (loss) on disposals before income taxes	3	61	4
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(1)	(5)	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposals, net of taxes	2	56	3
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of taxes	$ (90)	$ 192	$ (1,670)