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Insurance Contract Liabilities and Investment Contract Liabilities - Changes in Insurance Contract Liabilities and Reinsurance Assets (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
Insurance contract liabilities |  |
Insurance contract liabilities, beginning balance | $ 117,785 |
Insurance contract liabilities, change in balances on in-force policies | (3,094) | $ 2,757
Insurance contract liabilities, balances arising from new policies | 3,780 | 2,941
Insurance contract liabilities, method and assumption changes | (374) | (371)
Insurance contract liabilities, increase (decrease) in Insurance contract liabilities and Reinsurance assets | 312 | 5,327
Insurance contract liabilities, foreign exchange rate movements | 3,499 | (2,647)
Insurance contract liabilities, ending balance | 121,923 | 117,785
Reinsurance assets |  |
Reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 4,028 |
Reinsurance assets, change in balances on in-force policies | (129) | (779)
Reinsurance assets, change in balances arising from new policies | 128 | 156
Reinsurance assets, method and assumption changes | (96) | (198)
Reinsurance assets, increase (decrease) in Insurance contract liabilities and Reinsurance assets | (97) | (821)
Reinsurance assets, foreign exchange rate movements | 247 | (217)
Reinsurance assets, ending balance | 4,141 | 4,028
Net Changes In Insurance Contract Liabilities And Reinsurance Assets [Abstract] |  |
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 113,757 |
Net change in balances on in-force policies | (2,965) | 3,536
Net balance arising from new policies | 3,652 | 2,785
Net method and assumption change | (278) | (173)
Net increase (decrease) in Insurance contract liabilities and Reinsurance assets | 409 | 6,148
Net foreign exchange rate movement | 3,252 | (2,430)
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, ending balance | 117,782 | 113,757
Balances before Other policy liabilities and assets |  |
Insurance contract liabilities |  |
Insurance contract liabilities, beginning balance | 111,091 | 108,411
Insurance contract liabilities, ending balance | 114,902 | 111,091
Reinsurance assets |  |
Reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 3,503 | 4,541
Reinsurance assets, ending balance | 3,653 | 3,503
Net Changes In Insurance Contract Liabilities And Reinsurance Assets [Abstract] |  |
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 107,588 | 103,870
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, ending balance | 111,249 | 107,588
Other policy liabilities and assets |  |
Insurance contract liabilities |  |
Insurance contract liabilities, beginning balance | 6,694 |
Insurance contract liabilities, ending balance | 7,021 | 6,694
Reinsurance assets |  |
Reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 525 |
Reinsurance assets, ending balance | 488 | 525
Net Changes In Insurance Contract Liabilities And Reinsurance Assets [Abstract] |  |
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, beginning balance | 6,169 |
Net insurance contract liabilities and reinsurance assets, ending balance | $ 6,533 | $ 6,169

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- Definition The increase in liabilities under insurance contracts and reinsurance contracts issued, resulting from additions other than through business combinations. [Refer: Liabilities under insurance contracts and reinsurance contracts issued; Business combinations [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph IG37 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_IG37_b&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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- Definition The change in insurance liabilities resulting from the net exchange differences that arise on the translation of the financial statements into a different presentation currency, and on the translation of a foreign operation into the presentation currency. [Refer: Liabilities under insurance contracts and reinsurance contracts issued] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph IG37 -Subparagraph f -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_IG37_f&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in reinsurance assets resulting from the net exchange differences arising when the financial statements are translated from the functional currency into a different presentation currency, including the translation of a foreign operation into the presentation currency of the reporting entity. [Refer: Reinsurance assets] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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- Definition The amount of liabilities under insurance contracts and reinsurance contracts issued. [Refer: Types of insurance contracts [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_b&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph IG20 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_IG20_a&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph IG37 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_IG37_a&doctype=Implementation%20Guidance -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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- Definition The amount of a cedant’s net contractual rights under a reinsurance contract. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 4 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 37 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=4&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_37_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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