Shareholders' equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Share Repurchase Program [Table Text Block]

The following table presents repurchases of Chubb's Common Shares conducted in a series of open market transactions under the Board authorizations:

	Years Ended December 31
(in millions of U.S. dollars, except share data)	2015		2014		2013
Number of shares repurchased	6,677,663		13,982,358		3,266,531
Cost of shares repurchased	$	734	$	1,449	$	290

Dividends Declared [Table Text Block]

The following table presents dividend distributions per Common Share in Swiss francs (CHF) and U.S. dollars (USD):

	Years Ended December 31
		2015			2014			2013
	CHF	USD		CHF	USD		CHF	USD
Dividends - par value reduction	0.62	$	0.65	2.27	$	2.46	1.85	$	2.02
Dividends - distributed from capital contribution reserves	1.94	2.01		0.20	0.24		—	—
Total dividend distributions per common share	2.56	$	2.66	2.47	$	2.70	1.85	$	2.02

Schedule of changes in Common Shares issued and outstanding

	Years Ended December 31
	2015		2014		2013
Shares issued, beginning and end of year	342,832,412		342,832,412		342,832,412
Common Shares in treasury, end of year (at cost)	(18,268,971	)	(14,172,726	)	(3,038,477	)
Shares issued and outstanding, end of year	324,563,441		328,659,686		339,793,935
Common Shares issued to employee trust
Balance, beginning of year	(9,467	)	(9,467	)	(9,467	)
Shares redeemed	3,667		—		—
Balance, end of year	(5,800	)	(9,467	)	(9,467	)