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Investments (Impaired Mortgage Loans) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2014
Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance	$ 17,523us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance				$ 17,593us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance
Recorded Investment	16,956us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment				17,027us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
Related Allowance	713us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance				816us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
Carrying Value	16,243rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance				16,211rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance
Average Investment	16,992us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment	[1]	35,093us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment	[1]
Interest Income	261us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod		511us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded
Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance	10,227us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember				10,279us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
Recorded Investment	10,263us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember				10,316us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
Related Allowance	713us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember				816us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
Carrying Value	9,550rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember				9,500rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
Average Investment	6,702us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember	[1]	20,554us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember	[1]
Interest Income	155us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		193us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded
Financing Receivable Impaired [Line Items]
Unpaid Principal Balance	7,296us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember				7,314us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
Recorded Investment	6,693us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember				6,711us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
Related Allowance	0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember				0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
Carrying Value	6,693rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember				6,711rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
Average Investment	10,290us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember	[1]	14,539us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember	[1]
Interest Income	$ 106us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		$ 318us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod / us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis = rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
[1] Average recorded investment represents the average loan balances as of the beginning of period and all subsequent quarterly end of period balances.

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Average amount of investment of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without a related allowance for credit losses.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

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