Financial Condition and Net Income on a Statutory Basis - Significant Subsidiaries (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Statutory Basis [Abstract]

Statutory Accounting Practices Disclosure [Table Text Block]

Statutory net income, and capital and surplus of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries, determined in accordance with statutory accounting practices prescribed by the applicable state insurance department or local regulatory authority are as follows (dollars in thousands):

	Statutory Capital & Surplus				Statutory Net Income (Loss)
	2015		2014		2015			2014			2013
RGA Reinsurance (U.S.)	$	1,503,402	$	1,528,301	$	(23,615	)	$	17,085		$	115,814
RCM (U.S.)	1,598,328		1,625,276		51,041			126,326			109,084
RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada	874,151		915,130		113,526			225,083			89,428
RGA Barbados	654,245		690,420		98,284			39,293			70,940
RGA Australia	335,631		373,582		(18,128		)	874			(70,404		)
RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company Ltd.	554,417		435,408		132,192			113,055			(27,137		)
RGA Americas	2,699,101		2,787,552		218,067			236,215			147,363
Other reinsurance subsidiaries	2,136,480		1,941,996		300,847			(647,259		)	252,571

Reconciliation Of NAIC SAP And Prescribed Practice [Text Block]

A reconciliation of the Company’s surplus between NAIC SAP and practices prescribed by the state of domicile is shown below (dollars in thousands):

	December 31,
	2015			2014
Prescribed practice – surplus note	$	639,515		$	515,399
Prescribed practice – letters of credit	(570,100		)	(642,200		)
Surplus (deficit) – NAIC SAP	$	69,415		$	(126,801	)