Defined Benefit Plans - Summary of Amounts Recognized in Statement of Financial Positions (Detail) - EUR (€) € in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of net defined benefit liability (asset) [Line Items]
Present value of wholly or partly funded obligations	€ 4,027	€ 4,389
Fair value of plan assets	(3,525)	(3,622)
Surplus Deficit In Plan	502	767
Present value of wholly unfunded obligations 1)	3,487	3,183
Ending Balance	3,989	3,950	€ 4,767
Retirement Benefit Plans [member]
Disclosure of net defined benefit liability (asset) [Line Items]
Present value of wholly or partly funded obligations	4,027	4,389
Fair value of plan assets	(3,525)	(3,622)
Surplus Deficit In Plan	502	767
Present value of wholly unfunded obligations 1)	3,212	2,890
Ending Balance	3,714	3,657	4,453
Other Post Employment Benefit Plans [member]
Disclosure of net defined benefit liability (asset) [Line Items]
Present value of wholly unfunded obligations 1)	275	293
Ending Balance	€ 275	€ 293	€ 314

Unfunded defined benefit obligation present value.

No definition available.

Name:	aeg_UnfundedDefinedBenefitObligationPresentValue
Namespace Prefix:	aeg_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The present value, without deducting any plan assets, of expected future payments required to settle the obligation resulting from employee service in the current and prior periods. [Refer: Plan assets, at fair value]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 57
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=19&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_57_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

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

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DisclosureOfNetDefinedBenefitLiabilityAssetLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of deficit or surplus in a defined benefit plan, adjusted for any effect of limiting a net defined benefit asset to the asset ceiling. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 140
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=19&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_140_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value of defined benefit plan assets. Plan assets comprise assets held by a long-term employee benefit fund and qualifying insurance policies. [Refer: At fair value [member]]

+ References

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value of any plan assets, less the present value of the defined benefit obligation. [Refer: Plan assets [member]]

+ References

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_SurplusDeficitInPlan
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DefinedBenefitPlansAxis=aeg_RetirementBenefitPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_DefinedBenefitPlansAxis=aeg_OtherPostEmploymentBenefitPlansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: