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Commitments and Contingent Liabilities Commitments and Contingent Liabilities (Guarantees Issued) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
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Insurance Treaty Guarantee [Member] |  |
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items] |  |
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value | $ 793,815 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_InsuranceTreatyGuaranteeMember | $ 826,496 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_InsuranceTreatyGuaranteeMember
Insurance Treaty Guarantee Net Of Assets Held In Trust [Member] |  |
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items] |  |
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value | 650,115 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_InsuranceTreatyGuaranteeNetOfAssetsHeldInTrustMember | 664,913 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_InsuranceTreatyGuaranteeNetOfAssetsHeldInTrustMember
Guarantee Of Borrowed Securities [Member] |  |
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items] |  |
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value | 193,840 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_GuaranteeOfBorrowedSecuritiesMember | 201,050 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_GuaranteeOfBorrowedSecuritiesMember
Product Financing Arrangement [Member] |  |
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items] |  |
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value | 132,193 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = us-gaap_ProductFinancingArrangementMember | 100,000 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = us-gaap_ProductFinancingArrangementMember
Guarantee Of Lease Obligations [Member] |  |
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items] |  |
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value | $ 6,085 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_GuaranteeOfLeaseObligationsMember | $ 6,085 us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsCurrentCarryingValue / us-gaap_GuaranteeObligationsByNatureAxis = rga_GuaranteeOfLeaseObligationsMember

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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 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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