Share Based Compensation Arrangement by Share Based Payment Awards Contractual Term

No definition available.

Name:	gl_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardsContractualTerm
Namespace Prefix:	gl_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Cash Settled, Shares

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gl_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardCashSettledShares
Namespace Prefix:	gl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Settlement

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gl_SharebasedCompensationArrangementbySharebasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherthanOptionsSettlement
Namespace Prefix:	gl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Stock Based Compensation Restricted Stock Units Outstanding, Shares

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gl_StockBasedCompensationRestrictedStockUnitsOutstandingShares
Namespace Prefix:	gl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of shares authorized for issuance under share-based payment arrangement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_PerformanceSharesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_TitleOfIndividualAxis=srt_DirectorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_TitleOfIndividualAxis=gl_EmployeeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	gl_OptionGrantTypeAxis=gl_DirectorsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_StockOptionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	gl_OptionGrantTypeAxis=gl_Employee10YearGrantsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) - shares				12 Months Ended
	Feb. 24, 2021	Feb. 26, 2020	Feb. 28, 2019	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of equity awards settled for cash				0
Restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)				77,167	71,006	102,116
Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				3 years
Final settlement of shares		271,843	311,399
Performance Shares \| Subsequent Event
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Final settlement of shares	210,155
Minimum \| Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance shares target distribution				0	0
Maximum \| Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance shares target distribution				227,000	313,000
Director \| Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				6 months
Director \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				6 months
Employee \| Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period				5 years
Directors \| Director \| Equity Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options expiration term				7 years
Employee 10 Year Grants \| Employee \| Equity Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options expiration term				10 years