Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets	$ 652,252	[1]		$ 656,285	[1]
Liabilities	514,233	[1]		519,502	[1]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	34,178		34,943
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	970		1,457
Interest And Other Financial Charges	2,414		2,603
Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	41,612			42,247
Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,798			3,830
Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,366			3,220
Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	48,776			49,297
Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	583			598
Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	27,175			28,574
Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	3,490			3,334
Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	31,248			32,506
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	1,835		1,804
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	301		414
Interest And Other Financial Charges	81		89
Power Generating Activities Entity [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	733
Liabilities VIE	0
Industrial Equipment Joint Venture [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,562
Liabilities VIE	713
Insurance Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,195
Liabilities VIE	525
Trinity [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0
Trinity [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,764			2,786
Trinity [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	22			213
Trinity [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,786			2,999
Trinity [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Trinity [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,454			1,482
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,454			1,482
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Commingled cash amounts owed to CSEs	3,106			6,314
Commingled cash receivable from CSEs	3,115			5,540
Other 1 [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,067			2,044
Other 1 [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,034			1,044
Other 1 [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,706			2,430
Other 1 [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	5,807			5,518
Other 1 [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	583			598
Other 1 [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	49			49
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,458			1,351
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	2,090			1,998
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	23,888			24,766
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	122			20
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	24,010			24,786
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	14,642			15,363
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	265			228
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	14,907			15,591
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	13,029			12,928
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	515			557
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	13,544			13,485
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	10,316			10,982
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	285			248
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	10,601			11,230
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,628			2,509
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,629			2,509
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	2,168			2,180
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	28			25
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	2,196			2,205
Subsidiaries GECC [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets	510,447	[1]		516,829	[1]
Liabilities	425,420	[1]		433,703	[1]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	10,515		11,468
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	970		1,457
Interest And Other Financial Charges	2,161		2,382
Subsidiaries GECC [Member] | Trinity [Member] | Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Intercompany Advances Eliminated In Consolidation	$ 1,611			$ 1,837

[1] Our consolidated assets at March 31, 2014 include total assets of $46,492 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets include net financing receivables of $40,749 million and investment securities of $3,797 million. Our consolidated liabilities at March 31, 2014 include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GE. These liabilities include non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $27,175 million. See Note 16.