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OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (DETAILS 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Reclassification out of accumulated comprehensive income into net income available to common shareholders [Line Items]
Other realized investment gains									$ 163,335axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments	$ 84,926axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments	$ 151,703axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments
OTTI losses									(31,227)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet	(9,362)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet	(24,234)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet
Income before income taxes									830,472us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	734,467us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments	550,528us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
General and administrative expenses									(621,876)us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	(575,390)us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense	(560,981)us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense
Tax benefit									(25,908)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	(7,002)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	(3,287)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net income attributable to AXIS Capital	173,685us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	289,126us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	200,686us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	147,249us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	181,546us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	150,635us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	83,725us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	311,557us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	810,745us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	727,465us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	547,241us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Unrealized appreciation on Available for Sale Securities [Member] | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification out of accumulated comprehensive income into net income available to common shareholders [Line Items]
Other realized investment gains									172,399axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	76,518axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	152,062axs_AvailableforsaleSecuritiesGrossRealizedGainLossIncludingDerivativeGainsLossesExcludingOtherThanTemporaryImpairments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
OTTI losses									(31,227)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	(9,362)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	(24,234)us-gaap_OtherThanTemporaryImpairmentLossesInvestmentsPortionRecognizedInEarningsNet / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Income before income taxes									141,172us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	67,156us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	127,828us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Tax benefit									(26,702)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	(5,605)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	(11,550)us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Net income attributable to AXIS Capital									114,470us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	61,551us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember	116,278us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedNetUnrealizedInvestmentGainLossMember
Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs) [Member] | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Member]
Reclassification out of accumulated comprehensive income into net income available to common shareholders [Line Items]
General and administrative expenses									0us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	0us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	(1,718)us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember
Tax benefit									0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember
Net income attributable to AXIS Capital									$ 0us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	$ 0us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember	$ (1,718)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss / us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeAxis = us-gaap_ReclassificationOutOfAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeMember / us-gaap_StatementEquityComponentsAxis = us-gaap_AccumulatedDefinedBenefitPlansAdjustmentMember

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- Definition

This item represents the difference between the gross realized gains and losses realized on the sale of debt or equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading securities. Additionally, this item would include the change in fair value of investment-related derivatives not designated as hedges and any hedge ineffectiveness recognized in earnings in relation to investment portfolio-related fair value hedges.

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The aggregate total costs related to selling a firm's product and services, as well as all other general and administrative expenses. Direct selling expenses (for example, credit, warranty, and advertising) are expenses that can be directly linked to the sale of specific products. Indirect selling expenses are expenses that cannot be directly linked to the sale of specific products, for example telephone expenses, Internet, and postal charges. General and administrative expenses include salaries of non-sales personnel, rent, utilities, communication, etc.

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