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Insurance (Details Textual) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Sep. 30, 2014
Sep. 30, 2013
Sep. 30, 2012
Mar. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2012
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Carrying value of securities owned by U.S.-based insurance subsidiaries on deposit   $ 1,180,000,000us-gaap_AssetsHeldByInsuranceRegulators              
Undrawn letters of credit   223,000,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount              
Undrawn letters of credit, collateralized   0afg_UndrawnLettersOfCreditCollateralized              
Workers' compensation insurance discount rate   4.50%us-gaap_WorkersCompensationDiscountPercent 4.50%us-gaap_WorkersCompensationDiscountPercent            
Workers' compensation insurance discount, which has reduced the liability for unpaid losses and loss adjustment expenses   19,000,000us-gaap_WorkersCompensationDiscountAmount 20,000,000us-gaap_WorkersCompensationDiscountAmount            
Long-term care insurance reserves, net of reinsurance recoverables   807,000,000afg_LongTermCareInsuranceReserves              
Investment in Federal Home Loan Bank capital stock   34,000,000us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankStock              
Proceeds received under funding agreements with the Federal Home Loan Bank 200,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromFederalHomeLoanBankBorrowings                
Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank   440,000,000us-gaap_AdvancesFromFederalHomeLoanBanks 440,000,000us-gaap_AdvancesFromFederalHomeLoanBanks            
Description of variable rate basis   LIBOR              
Estimated fair value of commercial mortgage-backed securities held as collateral by the Federal Home Loan Bank   544,000,000us-gaap_FederalHomeLoanBankAdvancesGeneralDebtObligationsDisclosuresCollateralPledged1              
Interest on advances from Federal Home Loan Bank (are less than in 2012)   1,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseFederalHomeLoanBankAndFederalReserveBankAdvancesLongTerm 1,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseFederalHomeLoanBankAndFederalReserveBankAdvancesLongTerm            
Maximum amount of dividends available to be paid by insurance subsidiaries to AFG without prior approval of regulatory authorities   673,000,000us-gaap_StatutoryAccountingPracticesStatutoryAmountAvailableForDividendPaymentsWithoutRegulatoryApproval              
Dividends on Common Stock   (169,000,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStockCash (161,000,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStockCash (91,000,000)us-gaap_DividendsCommonStockCash          
Catastrophe bond   59,000,000us-gaap_SecuredDebt 61,000,000us-gaap_SecuredDebt            
Aggregate guaranteed minimum death benefit value on variable annuity polices in force   23,000,000afg_AggregateGuaranteedMinimumDeathBenefitValueOnVariableAnnuityPoliciesInForce 26,000,000afg_AggregateGuaranteedMinimumDeathBenefitValueOnVariableAnnuityPoliciesInForce            
Minimum [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Dividends payments without violating the most restrictive debt covenants, minimum   1,000,000,000afg_DividendPaymentsWithoutViolatingMostRestrictiveDebtCovenants
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
             
Minimum [Member] | LIBOR [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
FHLB advances, basis spread on variable rate   0.02%afg_FederalHomeLoanBankAdvancesGeneralDebtObligationDisclosuresBasisSpreadonVariableRate
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
             
Maximum [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Interest on advances from Federal Home Loan Bank (are less than in 2012)       1,000,000us-gaap_InterestExpenseFederalHomeLoanBankAndFederalReserveBankAdvancesLongTerm
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
         
Death benefits paid in excess of the variable annuity account balances (are less than in 2012, 2013 and 2014)   1,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesForGuaranteesOnLongDurationContractsBenefitsPaid
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
1,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesForGuaranteesOnLongDurationContractsBenefitsPaid
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
1,000,000us-gaap_LiabilitiesForGuaranteesOnLongDurationContractsBenefitsPaid
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
         
Maximum [Member] | LIBOR [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
FHLB advances, basis spread on variable rate   0.23%afg_FederalHomeLoanBankAdvancesGeneralDebtObligationDisclosuresBasisSpreadonVariableRate
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
             
Average [Member] | LIBOR [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
FHLB advances, basis spread on variable rate   0.32%afg_FederalHomeLoanBankAdvancesGeneralDebtObligationDisclosuresBasisSpreadonVariableRate
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_WeightedAverageMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
             
Property and Casualty Insurance [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Special charges to increase asbestos and environmental reserves         24,000,000afg_SpecialChargesToIncreaseAsbestosAndEnvironmentalReserves
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_PropertyAndCasualtyInsuranceMember
54,000,000afg_SpecialChargesToIncreaseAsbestosAndEnvironmentalReserves
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_PropertyAndCasualtyInsuranceMember
31,000,000afg_SpecialChargesToIncreaseAsbestosAndEnvironmentalReserves
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_PropertyAndCasualtyInsuranceMember
   
Catastrophe Bonds [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Catastrophe reinsurance coverage, excess retention amount               95,000,000us-gaap_ReinsuranceRetentionPolicyExcessRetentionAmountReinsured
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_CatastropheBondsMember
 
Catastrophe reinsurance coverage, retention amount               100,000,000us-gaap_ReinsuranceRetentionPolicyAmountRetained
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_CatastropheBondsMember
 
Catastrophe reinsurance coverage, annual cost   5,000,000afg_ReinsuranceCoverageAnnualCostForCatastropheBondStructure
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_CatastropheBondsMember
             
Life insurance [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Life insurance in force, ceded premiums   12,700,000,000us-gaap_LifeInsuranceInForceCeded
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
13,430,000,000us-gaap_LifeInsuranceInForceCeded
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
           
Life insurance in force, direct premiums   16,710,000,000us-gaap_LifeInsuranceInForceGross
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
17,980,000,000us-gaap_LifeInsuranceInForceGross
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
           
Life written premiums ceded   41,000,000us-gaap_CededPremiumsWritten
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
44,000,000us-gaap_CededPremiumsWritten
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
42,000,000us-gaap_CededPremiumsWritten
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_LifeInsuranceSegmentMember
         
Run-off Long-term Care and Life [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Pretax charge on closed block of long-term care insurance   0afg_LossRecognitionCharge
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afg_RunOffLongTermCareAndLifeMember
0afg_LossRecognitionCharge
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afg_RunOffLongTermCareAndLifeMember
          153,000,000afg_LossRecognitionCharge
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afg_RunOffLongTermCareAndLifeMember
Unaffiliated Entity [Member] | Catastrophe Bonds [Member]                  
Insurance [Line Items]                  
Catastrophe bond               $ 95,000,000us-gaap_SecuredDebt
/ afg_InsuranceAxis
= afg_CatastropheBondsMember
/ us-gaap_VariableInterestEntitiesByClassificationOfEntityAxis
= afg_UnaffiliatedEntityMember