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Insurance Contract Liabilities and Investment Contract Liabilities - Insurance Contract and Other Policy Liabilities (Details) - CAD ($) $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2018 | Mar. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
--- | --- | --- | ---
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | $ 121,923 |  | $ 117,785
Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 34,607 |  | 34,391
Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 37,528 |  | 35,028
Group life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 15,297 |  | 14,602
Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 14,856 |  | 15,350
Group annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 12,614 |  | 11,720
Insurance contract liabilities before other policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 114,902 |  | 111,091
Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 7,021 |  | 6,694
SLF Canada |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 66,898 |  | 65,083
SLF Canada | Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 21,095 |  | 20,918
SLF Canada | Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 11,435 |  | 11,161
SLF Canada | Group life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 9,591 |  | 9,131
SLF Canada | Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 9,267 |  | 9,178
SLF Canada | Group annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 12,461 |  | 11,607
SLF Canada | Insurance contract liabilities before other policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 63,849 |  | 61,995
SLF Canada | Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 3,049 |  | 3,088
SLF U.S. |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 26,186 |  | 24,410
SLF U.S. | Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 5,785 |  | 5,582
SLF U.S. | Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 13,239 | $ (10,000) | 12,024
SLF U.S. | Group life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 5,674 |  | 5,427
SLF U.S. | Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 25 |  | 25
SLF U.S. | Group annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 6 |  | 7
SLF U.S. | Insurance contract liabilities before other policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 24,729 |  | 23,065
SLF U.S. | Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 1,457 |  | 1,345
SLF Asia |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 21,525 |  | 20,257
SLF Asia | Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 6,651 |  | 6,705
SLF Asia | Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 12,463 | $ 0 | 11,449
SLF Asia | Group life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 32 |  | 33
SLF Asia | Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | (44) |  | (68)
SLF Asia | Group annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 147 |  | 106
SLF Asia | Insurance contract liabilities before other policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 19,249 |  | 18,225
SLF Asia | Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 2,276 |  | 2,032
Corporate |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 7,314 |  | 8,035
Corporate | Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 1,076 |  | 1,186
Corporate | Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 391 |  | 394
Corporate | Group life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 0 |  | 11
Corporate | Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 5,608 |  | 6,215
Corporate | Group annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 0 |  | 0
Corporate | Insurance contract liabilities before other policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 7,075 |  | 7,806
Corporate | Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 239 |  | 229
United Kingdom | Corporate | Individual participating life |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 980 |  | 1,089
United Kingdom | Corporate | Individual non-participating life and health |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 240 |  | 250
United Kingdom | Corporate | Individual annuities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | 5,214 |  | 5,692
United Kingdom | Corporate | Policy liabilities |  |  |
Disclosure of types of insurance contracts [line items] |  |  |
Insurance contract liabilities | $ 170 |  | $ 158

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