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INCOME TAXES (DETAILS 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of effective tax rate (% of income before income taxes) [Line Items]
Expected tax rate	0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate	0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate	0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Valuation allowance	1.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance	(0.70%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance	0.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationChangeInDeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance
Net tax exempt income	(0.70%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome	(1.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome	(1.50%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxExemptIncome
Other	(0.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments	(0.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments	(0.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Actual tax rate	3.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations	1.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations	0.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Income before income taxes - Bermuda (domestic)	$ 690,517us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesDomestic	$ 625,490us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesDomestic	$ 485,613us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesDomestic
Income before income taxes - foreign	139,955us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign	108,977us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign	64,915us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesForeign
Income before income taxes	$ 830,472us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	$ 734,467us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	$ 550,528us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
United States [Member]
Reconciliation of effective tax rate (% of income before income taxes) [Line Items]
Foreign taxes at local expected rates	1.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember	2.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember	0.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
Europe [Member]
Reconciliation of effective tax rate (% of income before income taxes) [Line Items]
Foreign taxes at local expected rates	1.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_EuropeanTaxAuthoritiesMember	1.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_EuropeanTaxAuthoritiesMember	1.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_EuropeanTaxAuthoritiesMember
Other [Member]
Reconciliation of effective tax rate (% of income before income taxes) [Line Items]
Foreign taxes at local expected rates	0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_OtherTaxAuthoritiesMember	0.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_OtherTaxAuthoritiesMember	0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential / us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityNameAxis = axs_OtherTaxAuthoritiesMember

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Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

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