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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Narrative Details) (USD $) | Mar. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
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Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Undrawn outstanding letters of credit in favor of third parties | $ 60,300,000 | $ 45,400,000
Undrawn outstanding letters of credit between subsidiaries | 864,500,000 | 763,500,000
Syndicated revolving credit facility capacity | 850,000,000 |
Insurance Treaty Guarantee [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Guarantee Obligations Current Carrying Value | 701,000,000 | 686,000,000
Insurance Treaty Guarantee Net Of Assets Held In Trust [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Guarantee Obligations Current Carrying Value | 481,700,000 | 463,500,000
Guarantee Of Borrowed Securities [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Guarantee Obligations Current Carrying Value | 87,500,000 |
Guarantee Of Subsidiary Collateral Financing [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Guarantee Obligations Current Carrying Value | 300,000,000 |
Limited Partnerships [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Unfunded commitments to fund partnership investments, mortgage loans and private corporate bond investments | 166,800,000 | 176,700,000
Commercial Mortgage Loans [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Unfunded commitments to fund partnership investments, mortgage loans and private corporate bond investments | 22,200,000 | 22,200,000
Private Placement Investments [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Unfunded commitments to fund partnership investments, mortgage loans and private corporate bond investments | 0 | 0
Bank Loans [Member] |  |
Commitments And Contingent Liabilities [Line Items] |  |
Unfunded commitments to fund partnership investments, mortgage loans and private corporate bond investments | $ 80,500,000 | $ 68,500,000

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- Definition Loan commitments are legally binding commitments to extend credit to a counterparty under certain terms and conditions. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | rga_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition Overall capacity of the Company's syndicated revolving credit facility. + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
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- Definition Undrawn outstanding letters of credit between subsidiaries of the Company. + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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- Definition Undrawn outstanding letters of credit in favor of third parties. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The current carrying amount of the liability for the freestanding or embedded guarantor's obligations under the guarantee or each group of similar guarantees. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 45 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph c -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 460 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6851643&loc=d3e12069-110248 + Details
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