Shareholders' equity (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Dividends Declared [Table Text Block]

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

	Year Ended December 31
		2016			2015			2014
	CHF	USD		CHF	USD		CHF	USD
Dividends - par value reduction	—	$	—	0.62	$	0.65	2.27	$	2.46
Dividends - distributed from capital contribution reserves	2.70	2.74		1.94	2.01		0.20	0.24
Total dividend distributions per common share	2.70	$	2.74	2.56	$	2.66	2.47	$	2.70

Schedule of changes in Common Shares issued and outstanding

	Year Ended December 31
	2016		2015		2014
Shares issued, beginning of year	342,832,412		342,832,412		342,832,412
Shares issued for Chubb Corp acquisition	136,951,452		—		—
Common Shares in treasury, end of year (at cost)	(13,815,148	)	(18,268,971	)	(14,172,726	)
Shares issued and outstanding, end of year	465,968,716		324,563,441		328,659,686
Common Shares issued to employee trust
Balance, beginning of year	(5,800	)	(9,467	)	(9,467	)
Shares redeemed	3,000		3,667		—
Balance, end of year	(2,800	)	(5,800	)	(9,467	)

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:

	Year Ended December 31						January 1, 2017 through
(in millions of U.S. dollars, except share data)	2016		2015		2014		February 24, 2017
Number of shares repurchased	—		6,677,663		13,982,358		419,623
Cost of shares repurchased	$	—	$	734	$	1,449	$	55