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Recorded Liabilities for Policyholder Account Balances (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances $ 26,043us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits $ 25,528us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
Investment contracts    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 17,497us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember		 17,330us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
Investment contracts | Annuity contracts    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 14,406us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_AnnuitizationBenefitMember		 13,730us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_AnnuitizationBenefitMember
Investment contracts | GICs, funding agreements and FABNs    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 493us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteedMinimumIncomeBenefitMember		 896us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= us-gaap_GuaranteedMinimumIncomeBenefitMember
Investment contracts | Structured settlements without life contingencies    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 1,828us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_StructuredSettlementAnnuitiesWithoutLifeContingenciesMember		 1,956us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_StructuredSettlementAnnuitiesWithoutLifeContingenciesMember
Investment contracts | Supplementary contracts without life contingencies    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 742us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_SupplementaryAnnuityContractsWithoutLifeContingenciesMember		 714us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_SupplementaryAnnuityContractsWithoutLifeContingenciesMember
Investment contracts | Other    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances 28us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_AllOtherMember		 34us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_InvestmentContractsMember
/ us-gaap_ReinsurancePremiumsForInsuranceCompaniesByProductSegmentAxis
= gnw_AllOtherMember
Universal life insurance contracts    
Insurance Reserves [Line Items]    
Policyholder account balances $ 8,546us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_UniversalLifeMember		 $ 8,198us-gaap_PolicyholderContractDeposits
/ us-gaap_LongDurationContractsAssumptionsByProductAndGuaranteeGuaranteeTypeAxis
= us-gaap_UniversalLifeMember