Postretirement Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cost of pension plans:
Service cost for benefits earned	$ 30,433	$ 22,510	$ 26,896
Interest cost on benefit obligation	30,755	28,112	25,474
Expected return on plan assets	(35,921)	(31,419)	(30,414)
Prior service cost amortization	670	712	798
Net actuarial loss amortization	14,031	6,344	14,946
Pension plan cost	$ 39,968	$ 26,259	$ 37,700
Erie Insurance Exchange (EIE)
Postretirement benefits
Postretirement annual benefit expense reimbursed to Indemnity from the Exchange (as a percent)	57.00%
Erie Family Life Insurance Company (EFL)
Postretirement benefits
Contingent liability for amount of nonparticipating annuity contracts the employee pension plan purchased from EFL	$ 22,600

Represents the percentage at which postretirement benefit expenses are reimbursed to the parent company.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The amount of gains or losses recognized in net periodic benefit cost.

+ References

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- Definition

The amount of the prior service cost or credit recognized in net periodic benefit cost relating to benefit changes attributable to plan participants' prior service pursuant to a plan amendment or a plan initiation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Prior Service Cost
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49177896

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The amount of estimated future defined benefit annual plan participant benefits covered by insurance contracts issued by the employer or its related parties.

+ References

+ Details

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- Definition

An amount calculated as a basis for determining the extent of delayed recognition of the effects of changes in the fair value of assets. The expected return on plan assets is determined based on the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the market-related value of plan assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Expected Return on Plan Assets
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6512171

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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- Definition

The increase in a defined benefit pension plan's projected benefit obligation or a defined benefit postretirement plan's accumulated postretirement benefit obligation due to the passage of time.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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- Definition

The total amount of net periodic benefit cost for defined benefit plans for the period. Periodic benefit costs include the following components: service cost, interest cost, expected return on plan assets, gain (loss), prior service cost or credit, transition asset or obligation, and gain (loss) due to settlements or curtailments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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-Publisher FASB
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-Section 50
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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- References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The actuarial present value of benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to services rendered by employees during the period. The portion of the expected postretirement benefit obligation attributed to employee service during the period. The service cost component is a portion of the benefit obligation and is unaffected by the funded status of the plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Service Cost (Component of Net Periodic Pension Cost)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6525008

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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