XML 72 R61.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.2

Investments (Internal Credit Rating Disclosure) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Sep. 30, 2020 | Jun. 30, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
--- | --- | --- | ---
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | $ 5,981 |  | $ 5,727
High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 3,525 |  |
Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 2,262 |  |
Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 153 |  |
Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 4 |  |
Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 37 |  |
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 1,589 |  |
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 1,068 |  |
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss |  |  | $ 406
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 74 |  |
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 4 |  |
Year Of Origination Prior Periods [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 37 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 894 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 588 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 279 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 27 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2016 [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 763 |  |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 360 |  |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss |  | $ 360 |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 43 |  |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2017 [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 938 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 522 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 407 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 9 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2018 [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 1,181 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 656 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 525 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2019 [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 616 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] | High Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 331 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] | Internal Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 285 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] | Average Investment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] | Watch List [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | 0 |  |
Year Of Origination 2020 [Member] | Internal Noninvestment Grade [Member] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items] |  |  |
Financing Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss | $ 0 |  |

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount, before allowance for credit loss, of financing receivable. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 79 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922352-210448 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121599337&loc=SL82919230-210447 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 326 -SubTopic 20 -Section 55 -Paragraph 80 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121647567&loc=SL82922355-210448 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_NotesReceivableGross
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=rga_HighInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=us-gaap_InternalInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=rga_AverageInvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=rga_WatchListMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=us-gaap_InternalNoninvestmentGradeMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOriginationPriorPeriodsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOrigination2016Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOrigination2017Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOrigination2018Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOrigination2019Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rga_YearofOriginationAxis=rga_YearOfOrigination2020Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |