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Collateral Finance and Securitization Notes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2006
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 850,000,000.0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Direct investment in subsidiary				112,800,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentAggregateCost
Assets Held-in-trust	922,800,000us-gaap_AssetsHeldInTrust	913,500,000us-gaap_AssetsHeldInTrust
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account	15,700,000rga_AmountHeldInDebtServiceCoverageAccount	20,500,000rga_AmountHeldInDebtServiceCoverageAccount
Collateral Financing Expense	11,441,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense	10,449,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense	12,197,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense
Repurchased Subsidiary Debt	160,000,000rga_RepurchasedSubsidiaryDebt
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt	46,506,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt	0us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt
Subsidiary Ceding Commission	256,500,000rga_SubsidiaryCedingCommission
Timerberlake Financial [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Issuance Date	Jun. 01, 2006
Collateral Financing Expense	4,000,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_TimerberlakeFinancialMember	5,100,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_TimerberlakeFinancialMember	6,900,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_TimerberlakeFinancialMember
Repayments of Secured Debt	112,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfSecuredDebt / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_TimerberlakeFinancialMember
Gain on repurchase of long-term debt	46,500,000us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_TimerberlakeFinancialMember
Chesterfield Financial Holdings LLC [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	300,000,000.0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Direct investment in subsidiary	79,000,000us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentAggregateCost / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Amount Held In Debt Service Coverage Account	27,000,000rga_AmountHeldInDebtServiceCoverageAccount / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Collateral Financing Expense	600,000rga_CollateralFinancingExpense / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Debt Issuance Costs Incurred And Capitalized	5,400,000rga_DebtIssuanceCostsIncurredAndCapitalized / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Capital Contributions To Subsidiaries	346,500,000rga_CapitalContributionsToSubsidiaries / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / rga_CollateralFinanceFacilityAxis = rga_ChesterfieldFinancialHoldingsLLCMember
Minimum [Member]
Collateral Finance Facility [Line Items]
Statutory Accounting Practices, Statutory Capital and Surplus, Balance	$ 35,000,000us-gaap_StatutoryAccountingPracticesStatutoryCapitalAndSurplusBalance / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember

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Capital contributions to subsidiaries

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Collateral Financing Expense

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The amount of issuance costs that were incurred and capitalized for a debt transaction.

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Subsidiary Ceding Commission

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The total amount of cash and securities held by third party trustees pursuant to terms of debt instruments or other agreements as of the date of each statement of financial position presented, which can be used by the trustee only to pay the noncurrent portion of specified obligations.

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Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

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Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

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