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Retrocession Arrangements and Reinsurance Ceded Receivables Retrocession Arrangements and Reinsurance Ceded Receivables (Ceded Reinsurance Receivable Assets) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 665,797us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables	$ 578,206us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	100.00%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal	100.00%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal
Other Reinsurers [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	146,371us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_OtherReinsurersMember	160,285us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_OtherReinsurersMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	22.00%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_OtherReinsurersMember	27.60%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_OtherReinsurersMember
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] | Reinsurer A [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	197,021us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerAMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	210,996us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerAMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	29.60%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerAMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	36.50%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerAMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] | Reinsurer B [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	152,870us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerBMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	45,541us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerBMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	23.00%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerBMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	7.90%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerBMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
AM Best, A+ Rating [Member] | Reinsurer C [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	74,754us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerCMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	74,412us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerCMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	11.20%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerCMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember	12.90%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerCMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusRatingMember
AM Best, A Rating [Member] | Reinsurer E [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	45,468us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerEMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestARatingMember	43,818us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerEMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestARatingMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	6.80%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerEMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestARatingMember	7.60%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerEMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestARatingMember
AM Best, A++ Rating [Member] | Reinsurer D [Member]
Ceded Credit Risk [Line Items]
Reinsurance ceded receivables	$ 49,313us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerDMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusPlusRatingMember	$ 43,154us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverables / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerDMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusPlusRatingMember
Reinsurance Recoverables, Percentage of Total	7.40%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerDMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusPlusRatingMember	7.50%us-gaap_ReinsuranceRecoverablesPercentageOfTotal / us-gaap_CededCreditRiskAxis = rga_ReinsurerDMember / us-gaap_CreditRatingAMBestAxis = us-gaap_AMBestAPlusPlusRatingMember

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- Definition

Amount after valuation allowance recoverable including premium paid under reinsurance contracts. Examples include, but are not limited to, settled and unsettled claims, incurred but not reported losses, loss adjustment expense, premium paid, policy benefits and policy reserves.

+ References

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 6

-Article 7



Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6480758&loc=d3e6824-158387



Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 944

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.(a),6)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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- Definition

Percentage of total reinsurance recoverables.

+ References

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