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Employee Benefit Plans (Schedule of Net Funded Status) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	$ 66,757us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets		$ 59,559us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	138,196us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation		111,195us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation		112,759us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	(71,439)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan		(51,636)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan
Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	66,757us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember		59,559us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	80,104us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember		63,502us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	(13,347)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember		(3,943)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_QualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Non Qualified Pension Plans Defined Benefit [Member]
Funded Status [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]	0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	58,092us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]	47,693us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]
Defined Benefit Plan, Funded Status of Plan, Total	$ (58,092)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]	$ (47,693)us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFundedStatusOfPlan / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = rga_NonQualifiedPensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember	[1]
[1] For non-qualified plans, there are no required funding levels.

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- Definition

1) For defined benefit pension plans, the benefit obligation is the projected benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value as of a date of all benefits attributed by the pension benefit formula to employee service rendered prior to that date. 2) For other postretirement defined benefit plans, the benefit obligation is the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation, which is the actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered to a particular date.

+ 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 (a)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Projected Benefit Obligation

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6522206



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligation

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6503904

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- Definition

Assets, usually stocks, bonds, and other investments, that have been segregated and restricted (usually in a trust) to provide benefits, at their fair value as of the measurement date. Plan assets include amounts contributed by the employer (and by employees for a contributory plan) and amounts earned from investing the contributions, less benefits paid. If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those non-benefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets.

+ 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 (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 30

-Section 35

-Paragraph 50

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=29635418&loc=d3e12355-114930

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- Definition

The funded status is measured as the difference between the fair value of plan assets and the benefit obligation. Will normally be the same as the net Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet, Total.

+ 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 (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 45

-Paragraph 2

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=21915240&loc=d3e1703-114919

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