Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Cash flows provided by operating activities
Net income	$ 630,048	$ 542,242	$ 686,256
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities
Amortization, accretion and depreciation	29,304	18,179	47,771
Equity in undistributed losses (earnings) of other ventures	5,504	(10,087)	(19,990)
Net realized and unrealized (gains) losses on investments	(141,328)	68,918	(41,433)
Net unrealized (gains) losses included in net investment income	(11,542)	13,549	1,393
Net unrealized losses included in other income (loss)	0	426	1,612
Change in:
Premiums receivable	(209,314)	(105,281)	34,080
Prepaid reinsurance premiums	(210,589)	(128,410)	(28,678)
Reinsurance recoverable	(145,038)	(64,104)	34,331
Deferred acquisition costs	(135,945)	(89,241)	(28,375)
Reserve for claims and claim expenses	81,249	(43,310)	(151,220)
Unearned premiums	342,471	144,040	34,498
Reinsurance balances payable	150,009	64,924	161,558
Other	85,000	2,892	(71,146)
Net cash provided by operating activities	469,829	414,737	660,657
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Proceeds from sales and maturities of fixed maturity investments trading	8,102,514	9,481,742	7,682,573
Purchases of fixed maturity investments trading	(8,282,720)	(9,683,068)	(7,639,178)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of fixed maturity investments available for sale	17,692	8,688	7,088
Net sales (purchases) of equity investments trading	184,788	(147,558)	(20,003)
Net (purchases) sales of short term investments	(118,617)	669,116	45,023
Net (purchases) sales of other investments	(68,589)	15,843	59,120
Net (purchases) sales of investments in other ventures	0	(10,150)	1,030
Net sales of other assets	400	4,500	6,000
Net purchase of Platinum	0	(678,152)	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(164,532)	(339,039)	141,653
Cash flows used in financing activities
Dividends paid – RenaissanceRe common shares	(51,583)	(53,967)	(45,912)
Dividends paid – preference shares	(22,381)	(22,381)	(22,381)
RenaissanceRe common share repurchases	(309,434)	(259,874)	(514,678)
Issuance of debt	0	445,589	0
Net third party redeemable noncontrolling interest share transactions	(2,990)	(193,032)	(111,707)
Net cash used in financing activities	(386,388)	(83,665)	(694,678)
Effect of exchange rate changes on foreign currency cash	(4,637)	(10,732)	9,920
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(85,728)	(18,699)	117,552
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	506,885	525,584	408,032
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 421,157	$ 506,885	$ 525,584