Financial Statements	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Financial Statements Basis of Presentation and Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Citizens, Inc. ("Citizens"), a Colorado corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CICA Life Insurance Company of America ("CICA"), CICA Life Ltd. ("CICA Ltd."), Citizens National Life Insurance Company ("CNLIC"), Security Plan Life Insurance Company ("SPLIC"), Security Plan Fire Insurance Company ("SPFIC"), Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Company ("MGLIC") and Computing Technology, Inc. ("CTI"). All significant inter-company accounts and interactions have been eliminated. Citizens and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the "Company," "we," "us" or "our." The consolidated statements of financial position as of March 31, 2019, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 and the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and changes in cash flows at March 31, 2019 and for comparative periods have been made. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Operating results for the interim periods disclosed herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any future period. We provide primarily life insurance and a small amount of health insurance policies through our insurance subsidiaries - CICA, CICA Ltd., SPLIC, MGLIC and CNLIC. CICA Ltd. primarily issues endowment and ordinary whole-life policies to non-U.S. residents. SPLIC offers final expense and home service life insurance in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, and SPFIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPLIC, writes a limited amount of property insurance in Louisiana. MGLIC provides industrial life policies through independent funeral homes in Mississippi. CTI provides data processing systems and services to the Company. Use of Estimates The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include those used in the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on debt and equity securities, actuarially determined assets and liabilities and assumptions, tests of goodwill impairment, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, valuation of uncertain tax positions and contingencies relating to litigation and regulatory matters. Certain of these estimates are particularly sensitive to market conditions, and deterioration and/or volatility in the worldwide debt or equity markets could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. Significant Accounting Policies For a description of significant accounting policies, see Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which should be read in conjunction with these accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Financial Statements

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of Citizens, Inc. ("Citizens"), a Colorado corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, CICA Life Insurance Company of America ("CICA"), CICA Life Ltd. ("CICA Ltd."), Citizens National Life Insurance Company ("CNLIC"), Security Plan Life Insurance Company ("SPLIC"), Security Plan Fire Insurance Company ("SPFIC"), Magnolia Guaranty Life Insurance Company ("MGLIC") and Computing Technology, Inc. ("CTI"). All significant inter-company accounts and interactions have been eliminated. Citizens and its wholly-owned subsidiaries are collectively referred to as the "Company," "we," "us" or "our."

The consolidated statements of financial position as of March 31, 2019, the consolidated statements of comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 and the consolidated statements of stockholders' equity and cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2019 and March 31, 2018 have been prepared by the Company without audit. In the opinion of management, all normal and recurring adjustments to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and changes in cash flows at March 31, 2019 and for comparative periods have been made. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required for complete financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018. Operating results for the interim periods disclosed herein are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for a full year or any future period.

We provide primarily life insurance and a small amount of health insurance policies through our insurance subsidiaries - CICA, CICA Ltd., SPLIC, MGLIC and CNLIC. CICA Ltd. primarily issues endowment and ordinary whole-life policies to non-U.S. residents. SPLIC offers final expense and home service life insurance in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, and SPFIC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SPLIC, writes a limited amount of property insurance in Louisiana. MGLIC provides industrial life policies through independent funeral homes in Mississippi.

CTI provides data processing systems and services to the Company.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Significant estimates include those used in the evaluation of other-than-temporary impairments on debt and equity securities, actuarially determined assets and liabilities and assumptions, tests of goodwill impairment, valuation allowance on deferred tax assets, valuation of uncertain tax positions and contingencies relating to litigation and regulatory matters. Certain of these estimates are particularly sensitive to market conditions, and deterioration and/or volatility in the worldwide debt or equity markets could have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Significant Accounting Policies

For a description of significant accounting policies, see Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which should be read in conjunction with these accompanying consolidated financial statements.