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Share-based compensation (Narrative) (Detail) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2011
Dec. 31, 2004
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested share-based awards $ 149,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationNonvestedAwardsTotalCompensationCostNotYetRecognized        
Weighted-average expected recognition period for the unrecognized compensation expense 1 year        
Weighted average remaining contractual term for stock options outstanding 6 years        
Weighted-average remaining contractual term for stock options exercisable 4 years 8 months 20 days        
Cash received from exercise of stock options 83,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromStockOptionsExercised        
Restricted stock awards granted to non-management directors 25,339ace_RestrictedStockUnitsIssuedToNonManagementDirectorsDuringPeriodSharesRestrictedStockAward 20,969ace_RestrictedStockUnitsIssuedToNonManagementDirectorsDuringPeriodSharesRestrictedStockAward 25,669ace_RestrictedStockUnitsIssuedToNonManagementDirectorsDuringPeriodSharesRestrictedStockAward    
Amounts paid during period by employees for the purchase of shares under the ESPP 17,000,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueEmployeeStockPurchasePlan 14,000,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueEmployeeStockPurchasePlan 13,000,000us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodValueEmployeeStockPurchasePlan    
Number of shares purchased during period by employees pursuant to the provisions of the ESPP 181,901us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans 175,437us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans 198,244us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesEmployeeStockPurchasePlans    
Discounted purchase price from market price 85.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent        
Stock options          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Vesting period of award 3 years        
Stock option term in years 10 years        
Restricted stock          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock units awarded to employees and officers of ACE and subsidiaries during period 1,669,936us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
1,544,485us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
1,589,178us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
   
Weighted average grant-day fair value of restricted stock units granted to employees and officers of the company (US$ per share) $ 97.32us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
$ 86.07us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
$ 73.46us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
   
Number of unvested restricted stock units outstanding 3,572,208us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
3,708,187us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
4,254,847us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
4,851,490us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
 
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock units awarded to employees and officers of ACE and subsidiaries during period 300,511us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
271,004us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
262,549us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
   
Weighted average grant-day fair value of restricted stock units granted to employees and officers of the company (US$ per share) $ 97.66us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 85.44us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
$ 73.41us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriodWeightedAverageGrantDateFairValue
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
   
Number of unvested restricted stock units outstanding 643,579us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsNonvestedNumber
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
       
Number of deferred restricted stock units 148,368ace_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsDeferred
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
       
ACE Limited 2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan | Restricted stock          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Vesting period of award 4 years        
ESPP          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Employee Stock Purchase Plan Authorized Amount $ 25,000ace_EmployeeStockPurchasePlanAuthorizedAmount
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
       
Discounted purchase price from market price 85.00%us-gaap_SharebasedCompensationArrangementBySharebasedPaymentAwardPurchasePriceOfCommonStockPercent
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
       
Common shares | ACE Limited 2004 Long-Term Incentive Plan          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Common shares authorized for issuance under plan         38,600,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ace_AceLimited2004LongTermIncentivePlanMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
Common shares remaining as available for issuance under the ESPP 7,811,838.83ace_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrantUnderEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ace_AceLimited2004LongTermIncentivePlanMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
       
Increase to authorized shares approved by shareholders 8,000,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfAdditionalSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= ace_AceLimited2004LongTermIncentivePlanMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
       
Common shares | ESPP          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Common shares authorized for issuance under plan 4,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
       
Common shares remaining as available for issuance under the ESPP 1,131,685ace_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAvailableForGrantUnderEmployeeStockPurchasePlans
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember
       
Increase to authorized shares approved by shareholders 1,500,000us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfAdditionalSharesAuthorized
/ us-gaap_PlanNameAxis
= us-gaap_EmployeeStockMember
/ us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis
= us-gaap_CommonStockMember