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Investments (Exposure To Concentrations Of Credit Risk) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 14,084,589us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost	$ 14,010,604us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
Available-for-sale Securities	15,179,135us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities	14,885,583us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Canadian Province Of Quebec Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	934,860us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfQuebecSecuritiesMember	1,006,315us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfQuebecSecuritiesMember
Available-for-sale Securities	1,628,425us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfQuebecSecuritiesMember	1,599,673us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfQuebecSecuritiesMember
Canadian Province Of Ontario Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	901,634us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfOntarioSecuritiesMember	979,908us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfOntarioSecuritiesMember
Available-for-sale Securities	$ 1,351,722us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfOntarioSecuritiesMember	$ 1,359,339us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities / rga_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAxis = rga_CanadianProvinceOfOntarioSecuritiesMember

X

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

-SubTopic 10

-Section 25

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28360136&loc=d3e22054-111558



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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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-Section 50

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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563



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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 320

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- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt and equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.2)

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