Significant Accounting Policies and Pronouncements (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 Foreign Currency Gain Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Foreign Currency Gain Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Foreign Currency Gain Loss [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Financial Services Business [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Financial Services Business [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Financial Services Business [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restatement Adjustment [Member] Pension Accounting Change [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Restatement Adjustment [Member] Pension Accounting Change [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Restatement Adjustment [Member] Pension Accounting Change [Member] Financial Services Business [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Restatement Adjustment [Member] Deferred Acquisition Costs [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Traditional Participating Life Insurance [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Interest Sensitive And Variable Life And Fixed And Variable Deferred Annuity [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Interest Sensitive And Variable Life And Fixed And Variable Deferred Annuity [Member] Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Contractual Due Date																	The Company defines “past due” as principal or interest not collected at least 30 days past the scheduled contractual due date
Accruing interest on Non performing Loans																	The Company discontinues accruing interest on loans after the loans become 90 days delinquent as to principal or interest payments, or earlier when the Company has doubts about collectability
Loan-to-value ratios																	100.00%
Debt service coverage ratios																	1.0
Securities loaned transactions collateral																														102.00%	105.00%
Partnership interest																	or under the cost method when the Company’s partnership interest is so minor (generally less than 3%) that it exercises virtually no influence over operating and financial policies
Expected Life Of Contract																																45 years	25 years	99 years
Property Plant And Equipment Useful Life																														3 years	40 years
Asset management fees and other income																	$ 286	$ 2,784	$ 4,905	$ (4,100)	$ (1,800)	$ 1,000
Uncertain Tax Positions Measurement Percentage																	50.00%
Net income (loss)	(428)		1,040		(487)		(685)		(182)		(567)		2,238		(919)		(560)	570	3,666							96
Diluted net income (loss) attributable to Prudential Financial, Inc. per share - Common Stock	$ (0.94)	[1]	$ 2.04	[1]	$ (1.12)	[1]	$ (1.58)	[1]	$ (0.42)	[1]	$ (1.32)	[1]	$ 4.69	[1]	$ (2.00)	[1]	$ (1.55)						$ (1.55)	$ 1.05	$ 7.12			$ 0.21
Cumulative Effect on Retained Earnings, Net of Tax																											144		(2,358)
Cumulative Effect on AOCI for Change in Accounting																											$ (144)		$ (90)

[1]          Quarterly earnings per share amounts may not add to the full year amounts due to the averaging of shares.