| Schedule II - Condensed Financial Information of Parent Company [Text Block] |
AXIS CAPITAL HOLDINGS LIMITED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS – PARENT COMPANY DECEMBER 31, 2013 AND 2012 | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | (in thousands) | Assets | | | | Investments in subsidiaries on equity basis | $ | 6,581,368 |
| | $ | 6,571,607 |
| Cash and cash equivalents | 4,414 |
| | 2,841 |
| Other assets | 3,179 |
| | 2,706 |
| Total assets | $ | 6,588,961 |
| | $ | 6,577,154 |
| | | | | Liabilities | | | | Intercompany payable | $ | 204,877 |
| | $ | 243,252 |
| Senior notes | 499,906 |
| | 499,798 |
| Dividends payable | 47,959 |
| | 37,370 |
| Other liabilities | 18,257 |
| | 16,973 |
| Total liabilities | 770,999 |
| | 797,393 |
| | | | | Shareholders’ equity | | | | Preferred shares | 627,843 |
| | 502,843 |
| Common shares (2013: 174,134; 2012: 171,867 shares issued
and 2013: 109,485; 2012: 117,920 shares outstanding) | 2,174 |
| | 2,146 |
| Additional paid-in capital | 2,240,125 |
| | 2,179,034 |
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 117,825 |
| | 362,622 |
| Retained earnings | 5,062,706 |
| | 4,497,789 |
| Treasury shares, at cost (2013: 64,649; 2012: 53,947 shares) | (2,232,711 | ) | | (1,764,673 | ) | Total shareholders’ equity | 5,817,962 |
| | 5,779,761 |
| Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity | $ | 6,588,961 |
| | $ | 6,577,154 |
|
| | (1) | On November 15, 2004, AXIS Capital issued $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior unsecured debt (“Senior Notes”) at an issue price of 99.785%, generating net proceeds of $496 million. Interest of the 5.75% Senior Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on June 1, 2005. Unless previously redeemed, the 5.75% Senior Notes will mature on December 1, 2014. |
| | (2) | AXIS Capital has fully and unconditionally guaranteed all obligations of AXIS Specialty Finance, a 100% owned finance subsidiary, related to the issuance of $500 million aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior unsecured notes. AXIS Capital’s obligations under this guarantee are unsecured and senior and rank equally with all other senior obligations of AXIS Capital. |
| | (3) | AXIS Capital has fully and unconditionally guaranteed the derivative instrument obligations of certain of its 100% owned operating subsidiaries. At December 31, 2013, the fair value of guaranteed obligations utilized aggregated to $28 million (2012: $nil). |
SCHEDULE II AXIS CAPITAL HOLDINGS LIMITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS – PARENT COMPANY YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013, 2012 AND 2011 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | 2011 | | (in thousands) | Revenues | | | | | | Net investment income | $ | 5 |
| | $ | 25 |
| | $ | 1 |
| Total revenues | 5 |
| | 25 |
| | 1 |
| | | | | | | Expenses | | | | | | General and administrative expenses | 40,565 |
| | 62,293 |
| | 36,248 |
| Interest expense and financing costs | 29,201 |
| | 29,201 |
| | 29,201 |
| Total expenses | 69,766 |
| | 91,494 |
| | 65,449 |
| | | | | | | Loss before equity in net earnings of subsidiaries | (69,761 | ) | | (91,469 | ) | | (65,448 | ) | Equity in net earnings of subsidiaries | 797,226 |
| | 638,710 |
| | 111,753 |
| Net income | 727,465 |
| | 547,241 |
| | 46,305 |
| Preferred share dividends | 40,474 |
| | 38,228 |
| | 36,875 |
| Loss on repurchase of preferred shares | 3,081 |
| | 14,009 |
| | — |
| Net income available to common shareholders | $ | 683,910 |
| | $ | 495,004 |
| | $ | 9,430 |
| | | | | | | Comprehensive income (loss) | $ | 482,668 |
| | $ | 781,701 |
| | $ | (2,354 | ) |
SCHEDULE II AXIS CAPITAL HOLDINGS LIMITED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS – PARENT COMPANY YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2013, 2012 AND 2011 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2013 | | 2012 | | 2011 | | (in thousands) | Cash flows from operating activities: | | | | | | Net income | $ | 727,465 |
| | $ | 547,241 |
| | $ | 46,305 |
| Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: | | | | | | Equity in net earnings of subsidiaries | (797,226 | ) | | (638,710 | ) | | (111,753 | ) | Change in intercompany payable | (38,375 | ) | | (7,667 | ) | | (44,503 | ) | Dividends received from subsidiaries | 566,000 |
| | 525,000 |
| | 255,000 |
| Other items | 34,803 |
| | 56,425 |
| | 21,298 |
| Net cash provided by operating activities | 492,667 |
| | 482,289 |
| | 166,347 |
| | | | | | | Cash flows from investing activities: | | | | | | Capital repaid from subsidiary | — |
| | — |
| | 130,000 |
| Net cash from investing activities | — |
| | — |
| | 130,000 |
| | | | | | | Cash flows from financing activities: | | | | | | Net proceeds from issuance of preferred shares | 218,449 |
| | 393,544 |
| | — |
| Repurchase of preferred shares | (100,000 | ) | | (404,073 | ) | | — |
| Repurchase of common shares | (472,263 | ) | | (317,687 | ) | | (65,885 | ) | Dividends paid - common shares | (118,426 | ) | | (120,487 | ) | | (206,455 | ) | Dividends paid - preferred shares | (39,193 | ) | | (38,228 | ) | | (36,875 | ) | Proceeds from issuance of common shares | 20,339 |
| | 5,120 |
| | 6,735 |
| Net cash used in financing activities | (491,094 | ) | | (481,811 | ) | | (302,480 | ) | | | | | | | Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | 1,573 |
| | 478 |
| | (6,133 | ) | Cash and cash equivalents - beginning of period | 2,841 |
| | 2,363 |
| | 8,496 |
| Cash and cash equivalents - end of period | $ | 4,414 |
| | $ | 2,841 |
| | $ | 2,363 |
| | | | | | | Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: | | | | | | Interest paid | $ | 28,750 |
| | $ | 28,750 |
| | $ | 28,750 |
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