Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets	$ 521,104	[1]		$ 521,104	[1]		$ 539,339	[1]
Liabilities	436,343	[1]		436,343	[1]		456,742	[1]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	10,980		11,354	22,515		22,694
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	1,029		743	2,517		1,606
Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	40,771			40,771			40,916
Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	4,334			4,334			4,486
Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,687			2,687			2,479
Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	47,792			47,792			47,881
Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	713			713			707
Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	28,600			28,600			29,123
Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	3,303			3,303			3,136
Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	32,616			32,616			32,966
Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	1,669		1,660	3,372		3,240
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	175		170	589		370
Interest And Other Financial Charges	95		115	184		247
Power Generating Activities Entity [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	807			807
Liabilities VIE	0			0
Industrial Equipment Joint Venture [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,562			1,562
Liabilities VIE	847			847
Insurance Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,176			1,176
Liabilities VIE	561			561
Trinity [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Intercompany Advances Eliminated In Consolidation			2,241			2,241	2,441
Trinity [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,308			3,308			3,435
Trinity [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	123			123			217
Trinity [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	3,431			3,431			3,652
Trinity [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,556			1,556			1,656
Trinity [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,556			1,556			1,656
Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Commingled cash amounts owed to CSEs	6,644			6,644			6,225
Commingled cash receivable from CSEs	6,552			6,552			6,143
Other 1 [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,024			2,024			1,952
Other 1 [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,026			1,026			1,051
Other 1 [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	1,940			1,940			1,873
Other 1 [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	4,990			4,990			4,876
Other 1 [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	713			713			707
Other 1 [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	51			51			54
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,391			1,391			1,315
Other 1 [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	2,155			2,155			2,076
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	23,647			23,647			24,169
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	25			25			29
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	23,672			23,672			24,198
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	16,291			16,291			17,208
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	218			218			146
Credit Card Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	16,509			16,509			17,354
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	12,810			12,810			12,456
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	599			599			360
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	13,409			13,409			12,816
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	10,280			10,280			9,811
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	124			124			11
Equipment [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	10,404			10,404			9,822
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,290			2,290			2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Investment Securities [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Assets, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Assets VIE	2,290			2,290			2,339
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	0			0			0
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	1,978			1,978			2,050
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities Other [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	14			14			8
Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] | Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] | Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Liabilities VIE	$ 1,992			$ 1,992			$ 2,058

[1] (a) Our consolidated assets at June 30, 2013 include total assets of $46,939 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 $40,048 million and investment securities of $4,334 million. Our consolidated liabilities at June 30, 2013 include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GECC. These liabilities include non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $28,600 million. See Note 13.