Short-Term and Long-Term Debt (Long-Term Debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 17,172	$ 18,041
Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	840	840
Surplus notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0	499
Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	5,187	4,403
Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	2,100	1,456
Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	8,882	9,236
Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	29	1,063
Senior notes | Debt denominated in foreign currency | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	0	55
Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	226	177
Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	573	409
Mortgages | Debt denominated in foreign currency | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	107	82
Mortgages | Debt denominated in foreign currency | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	245	221
Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	6,622	5,817
Subtotal
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	24,459	23,900
Less: assets under set-off arrangements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	7,287	5,859
Prudential Financial
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	15,304	$ 15,389
Prudential Financial | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	6,566
Subsidiaries | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 56
Minimum | Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.36%
Minimum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.52%
Minimum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.25%
Minimum | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.30%
Minimum | Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	1.69%
Minimum | Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	0.89%
Minimum | Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	0.26%
Minimum | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.50%
Maximum | Surplus notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	8.30%
Maximum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.26%
Maximum | Surplus notes subject to set-off arrangements | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.74%
Maximum | Senior notes | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	11.31%
Maximum | Senior notes | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.49%
Maximum | Mortgages | Fixed-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.85%
Maximum | Mortgages | Floating-rate notes:
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.07%
Maximum | Junior subordinated debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	8.88%