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Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees Commitments Contingencies and Guarantees (Commitments to Fund Investments) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Limited Partner [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	$ 254,314us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_LimitedPartnerMember	$ 239,453us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_LimitedPartnerMember
Commercial Loan [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	33,850us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember	4,600us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Private Placement [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	0us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember	22,000us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
Bank Loan Obligations [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	52,859us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_BankLoanObligationsMember	36,952us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_BankLoanObligationsMember
Equity Release Mortgages [Member]
Fair Value, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Disclosure Information [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Face Amount, Liability	$ 8,549us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = rga_EquityReleaseMortgagesMember	$ 0us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability / us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis = rga_EquityReleaseMortgagesMember

X

- Definition

The face amount of financial liabilities, which are not recognized in the financial statements (off-balance sheet) because they fail to meet some other criterion for recognition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueDisclosureOffbalanceSheetRisksFaceAmountLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

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- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueOffBalanceSheetRisksDisclosureInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=rga_EquityReleaseMortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_BankLoanObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_LimitedPartnerMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

X

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_PrivatePlacementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: