Fair Value (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Disclosure - Fair Value [Abstract]

Financial instruments measured at fair value and categorized between Levels 1, 2 and 3

			Quoted prices in				Significant
			active markets for		Significant other		unobservable
			identical assets		observable inputs		inputs
December 31, 2012			(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		Total
Fixed maturities
	U.S. government and government sponsored enterprises		$	0	$	1,130,924	$	0	$	1,130,924
	U.S. states, territories and municipalities			0		10,151		233,235		243,386
	Non-U.S. sovereign government,
		supranational and government related		0		2,375,673		0		2,375,673
	Corporate			0		6,554,934		100,904		6,655,838
	Asset-backed securities			0		400,336		323,134		723,470
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			0		3,199,924		0		3,199,924
	Other mortgage-backed securities			0		66,100		0		66,100
Fixed maturities			$	0	$	13,738,042	$	657,273	$	14,395,315
Short-term investments			$	0	$	150,552	$	0	$	150,552
Equities
	Consumer noncyclical		$	130,526	$	0	$	0	$	130,526
	Energy			118,213		0		0		118,213
	Finance			79,456		7,472		13,477		100,405
	Technology			71,927		0		6,987		78,914
	Real estate investment trusts			66,846		0		0		66,846
	Communications			65,722		0		0		65,722
	Consumer cyclical			62,526		0		0		62,526
	Industrials			59,242		0		0		59,242
	Insurance			39,132		0		0		39,132
	Other			60,913		0		0		60,913
	Mutual funds and exchange traded funds			34,053		270,246		7,264		311,563
Equities			$	788,556	$	277,718	$	27,728	$	1,094,002
Other invested assets
	Derivative assets
		Foreign exchange forward contracts	$	0	$	7,889	$	0	$	7,889
		Foreign currency option contracts		0		1,410		0		1,410
		Futures contracts		1,956		0		0		1,956
		Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		0		6		0		6
		Credit default swaps (assumed risks)		0		512		0		512
		Total return swaps		0		0		6,630		6,630
		TBAs		0		115		0		115
	Other
		Notes and loan receivables and notes securitization		0		0		34,902		34,902
		Annuities and residuals		0		0		46,882		46,882
		Private equity fund		0		0		1,404		1,404
	Derivative liabilities
		Foreign exchange forward contracts		0		(17,395)		0		(17,395)
		Foreign currency option contracts		0		(186)		0		(186)
		Futures contracts		(1,352)		0		0		(1,352)
		Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		0		(807)		0		(807)
		Insurance-linked securities		0		0		(2,173)		(2,173)
		Total return swaps		0		0		(546)		(546)
		Interest rate swaps		0		(7,880)		0		(7,880)
		TBAs		0		(163)		0		(163)
Other invested assets			$	604	$	(16,499)	$	87,099	$	71,204
Funds held – directly managed
	U.S. government and government sponsored enterprises		$	0	$	218,696	$	0	$	218,696
	U.S. states, territories and municipalities			0		0		345		345
	Non-U.S. sovereign government,
		supranational and government related		0		233,987		0		233,987
	Corporate			0		362,243		0		362,243
	Other invested assets			0		0		17,976		17,976
Funds held – directly managed			$	0	$	814,926	$	18,321	$	833,247
Total			$	789,160	$	14,964,739	$	790,421	$	16,544,320
			Quoted prices in				Significant
			active markets for		Significant other		unobservable
			identical assets		observable inputs		inputs
December 31, 2011			(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		Total
Fixed maturities
	U.S. government and government sponsored enterprises		$	0	$	1,115,777	$	0	$	1,115,777
	U.S. states, territories and municipalities			0		12,269		111,415		123,684
	Non-U.S. sovereign government,
		supranational and government related		0		2,964,091		0		2,964,091
	Corporate			0		5,635,297		111,700		5,746,997
	Asset-backed securities			0		376,384		257,415		633,799
	Residential mortgage-backed securities			0		3,282,901		0		3,282,901
	Other mortgage-backed securities			0		74,580		0		74,580
Fixed maturities			$	0	$	13,461,299	$	480,530	$	13,941,829
Short-term investments			$	0	$	42,571	$	0	$	42,571
Equities
	Consumer noncyclical		$	124,697	$	154	$	0	$	124,851
	Energy			83,403		858		0		84,261
	Finance			69,722		191		9,670		79,583
	Technology			74,729		0		0		74,729
	Communications			64,036		44		0		64,080
	Industrials			58,254		0		0		58,254
	Insurance			58,017		0		0		58,017
	Consumer cyclical			52,305		108		0		52,413
	Other			69,457		239		0		69,696
	Mutual funds and exchange traded funds			35,285		237,027		6,495		278,807
Equities			$	689,905	$	238,621	$	16,165	$	944,691
Other invested assets
	Derivative assets
		Foreign exchange forward contracts	$	0	$	7,865	$	0	$	7,865
		Foreign currency option contracts		0		1,074		0		1,074
		Futures contracts		13,524		48		0		13,572
		Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		0		92		0		92
		Credit default swaps (assumed risks)		0		246		0		246
		Total return swaps		0		443		7,230		7,673
		TBAs		0		747		0		747
	Other
		Notes and loan receivables and notes securitization		0		0		63,565		63,565
		Annuities and residuals		0		0		27,840		27,840
	Derivative liabilities
		Foreign exchange forward contracts		0		(5,816)		0		(5,816)
		Foreign currency option contracts		0		(321)		0		(321)
		Futures contracts		(12,905)		(1,268)		0		(14,173)
		Credit default swaps (protection purchased)		0		(1,285)		0		(1,285)
		Credit default swaps (assumed risks)		0		(772)		0		(772)
		Insurance-linked securities		0		0		(968)		(968)
		Total return swaps		0		0		(640)		(640)
		Interest rate swaps		0		(7,992)		0		(7,992)
		TBAs		0		(58)		0		(58)
	Other liabilities			0		(137)		0		(137)
Other invested assets			$	619	$	(7,134)	$	97,027	$	90,512
Funds held – directly managed
	U.S. government and government sponsored enterprises		$	0	$	268,539	$	0	$	268,539
	U.S. states, territories and municipalities			0		0		334		334
	Non-U.S. sovereign government,
		supranational and government related		0		274,665		0		274,665
	Corporate			0		480,485		0		480,485
	Short-term investments			0		18,097		0		18,097
	Other invested assets			0		0		15,433		15,433
Funds held – directly managed			$	0	$	1,041,786	$	15,767	$	1,057,553
Total			$	690,524	$	14,777,143	$	609,489	$	16,077,156

Reconciliation of beginning and ending balances for all financial instruments measured at fair value using Level 3 inputs

															Change in
						Realized and										unrealized
						unrealized										investment
						investment						Net				gains (losses)
				Balance at		gains (losses)		Purchases		Settlements		transfers		Balance		relating to
For the year ended			beginning		included in		and		and		out of		at end		assets held at
December 31, 2012			of year		net income		issuances (1)		sales (2)		Level 3		of year		end of year
Fixed maturities
	U.S. states, territories
		and municipalities	$	111,415	$	4,854	$	117,650	$	(684)	$	0	$	233,235	$	4,854
	Corporate			111,700		(948)		120		(9,968)		0		100,904		(1,066)
	Asset-backed securities			257,415		12,241		235,402		(181,924)		0		323,134		8,334
Fixed maturities			$	480,530	$	16,147	$	353,172	$	(192,576)	$	0	$	657,273	$	12,122
Equities
	Finance		$	9,670	$	3,816	$	6,800	$	(9)	$	(6,800)	$	13,477	$	3,809
	Technology			0		(205)		7,192		0		0		6,987		(205)
	Mutual funds and exchange
		traded funds		6,495		769		0		0		0		7,264		769
Equities			$	16,165	$	4,380	$	13,992	$	(9)	$	(6,800)	$	27,728	$	4,373
Other invested assets
	Derivatives, net		$	5,622	$	3,832	$	(5,543)	$	0	$	0	$	3,911	$	2,306
	Notes and loan receivables and
		notes securitization		63,565		6,773		63,894		(99,330)		0		34,902		(984)
	Annuities and residuals			27,840		11,621		30,683		(23,262)		0		46,882		5,944
	Private equity fund			0		(46)		1,450		0		0		1,404		(46)
Other invested assets			$	97,027	$	22,180	$	90,484	$	(122,592)	$	0	$	87,099	$	7,220
Funds held – directly managed
	U.S. states, territories
		and municipalities	$	334	$	11	$	0	$	0	$	0	$	345	$	11
	Other invested assets			15,433		2,543		0		0		0		17,976		2,543
Funds held – directly managed			$	15,767	$	2,554	$	0	$	0	$	0	$	18,321	$	2,554
Total			$	609,489	$	45,261	$	457,648	$	(315,177)	$	(6,800)	$	790,421	$	26,269

(1)Purchases and issuances of derivatives includes issuances of $5.8 million.

(2)Settlements and sales of notes and loan receivables and notes securitization include sales of $4.7 million.

															Change in
						Realized and										unrealized
						unrealized										investment
						investment						Net				gains (losses)
				Balance at		gains (losses)		Purchases		Settlements		transfers		Balance		relating to
For the year ended			beginning		included in		and		and		into		at end		assets held at
December 31, 2011			of year		net loss		issuances (1)		sales (2)		Level 3		of year		end of year
Fixed maturities
	U.S. states, territories
		and municipalities	$	55,124	$	5,288	$	51,163	$	(160)	$	0	$	111,415	$	5,288
	Corporate			76,982		(36,617)		41,246		(10,091)		40,180		111,700		2,430
	Asset-backed securities			213,139		15,161		182,090		(152,975)		0		257,415		14,938
	Residential mortgage-backed
		securities		0		1,385		4,212		(5,597)		0		0		0
	Other mortgage-backed securities			290		(225)		408		(473)		0		0		0
Fixed maturities			$	345,535	$	(15,008)	$	279,119	$	(169,296)	$	40,180	$	480,530	$	22,656
Short-term investments			$	0	$	(1,069)	$	3,992	$	(2,923)	$	0	$	0	$	0
Equities
	Finance		$	2,486	$	223	$	9,523	$	(2,562)	$	0	$	9,670	$	(4)
	Mutual funds and exchange
		traded funds		40,927		1,195		0		(35,627)		0		6,495		(429)
Equities			$	43,413	$	1,418	$	9,523	$	(38,189)	$	0	$	16,165	$	(433)
Other invested assets
	Derivatives, net		$	(7,954)	$	(3,546)	$	(4,103)	$	21,225	$	0	$	5,622	$	2,548
	Notes and loan receivables
		and notes securitization		53,600		(22,257)		49,688		(17,466)		0		63,565		(22,257)
	Annuities and residuals			32,678		(1,441)		11,886		(15,283)		0		27,840		(2,242)
Other invested assets			$	78,324	$	(27,244)	$	57,471	$	(11,524)	$	0	$	97,027	$	(21,951)
Funds held – directly managed
	U.S. states, territories
		and municipalities	$	368	$	(34)	$	0	$	0	$	0	$	334	$	(34)
	Mortgage/asset-backed securities			12,118		(150)		0		(11,968)		0		0		0
	Other invested assets			20,528		(3,855)		0		(1,240)		0		15,433		(3,519)
Funds held – directly managed			$	33,014	$	(4,039)	$	0	$	(13,208)	$	0	$	15,767	$	(3,553)
Total			$	500,286	$	(45,942)	$	350,105	$	(235,140)	$	40,180	$	609,489	$	(3,281)

• Purchases and issuances of derivatives includes issuances of $5.1 million.
• Sales and settlements of derivatives includes settlements of $21.2 million.

Fair Value Inputs Assets Quantitative Information [Table Text Block]

						Range
December 31, 2012			Fair Value	Valuation Techniques	Unobservable Inputs	(Weighted average)
Fixed maturities
	U.S. states, territories and municipalities	$	233,235	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	2.8% - 4.5% (3.7%)
	Asset-backed securities – interest only		12,625	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	6.8% - 11.7% (9.1%)
					Prepayment speed	20.0% (20.0%)
	Asset-backed securities – other		310,509	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	4.0% - 12.2% (7.6%)
Equities
	Finance		13,477	Weighted market comparables	Comparable return	0.8% (0.8%)
	Technology		6,987	Weighted market comparables	Comparable return	-1.5% (-1.5%)
Other invested assets
	Total return swaps		6,084	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	2.6% - 4.6% (3.2%)
	Notes and loan receivables		24,902	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	17.5% (17.5%)
					Gross revenue/fair value	1.7 - 2.1 (1.8)
	Notes securitization		10,000	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	6.5% (6.5%)
	Annuities and residuals		46,882	Discounted cash flow	Credit spreads	4.7% - 9.9% (7.2%)
					Prepayment speed	0.0% - 15.0% (7.6%)
					Constant default rate	2.3% - 35.0% (13.2%)
	Private equity fund		1,404	Lag reported market value	Net asset value, as reported	100.0% (100.0%)
					Market adjustments	7.3% (7.3%)
Funds held – directly managed
	Other invested assets		17,976	Lag reported market value	Net asset value, as reported	100.0% (100.0%)
					Market adjustments	-38.1% - 0.0% (-12.1%)

Change in fair value of financial instruments subject to fair value option

	2012		2011		2010
Fixed maturities and short-term investments	$	186,063	$	128,224	$	142,634
Equities		66,253		(101,860)		64,825
Other invested assets		18,732		(24,839)		(1,176)
Funds held – directly managed		7,969		5,853		24,358
Total	$	279,017	$	7,378	$	230,641

Carrying values and fair values of financial instrument liabilities

	December 31, 2012				December 31, 2011
	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
Debt related to senior notes(1)	$	750,000	$	859,367	$	750,000	$	781,449
Debt related to capital efficient notes (2)		63,384		66,990		63,384		55,678

(1)       PartnerRe Finance A LLC and PartnerRe Finance B LLC, the issuers of the Senior Notes, do not meet consolidation requirements under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, the Company shows the related intercompany debt of $750 million in its Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2012 and 2011.

(2)       PartnerRe Finance II Inc., the issuer of the CENts, does not meet consolidation requirements under U.S. GAAP. Accordingly, the Company shows the related intercompany debt of $71 million in its Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2012 and 2011.