CONTRACT & OTHER DEFERRED ASSETS AND PROGRESS COLLECTIONS & DEFERRED INCOME - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Contractors [Abstract]
Revenue recognized included in contract liability	$ 9,609	$ 9,182
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase in contract and other deferred assets	431
Increase in revenue in excess of billings on long-term product service agreements	309
Increase in non-recurring engineering costs	223
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	(141)
Decrease in deferred inventory costs	(126)
Aviation
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase in non-recurring engineering costs	138
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	136
Power
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase in revenue in excess of billings on long-term product service agreements	241
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	(510)
Decrease in deferred inventory costs	(308)
Healthcare
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	138
Transportation
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	132
Oil & Gas
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Decrease in deferred inventory costs	(114)
Renewable Energy
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in revenue in excess of billings for equipment contracts due to timing of revenue recognized for work performed	338
Restatement Adjustment \| Adjustment Due to Change in Estimated Profitability
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Change in gross profit	133
Restatement Adjustment \| Adjustment Due to Change in Estimated Profitability \| Aviation
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Change in gross profit	(140)
Restatement Adjustment \| Adjustment Due to Change in Estimated Profitability \| Power
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Change in gross profit	$ 223

Increase (Decrease) In Contract With Customer, Asset And Other Deferred Assets

No definition available.

Name:	ge_IncreaseDecreaseInContractWithCustomerAssetAndOtherDeferredAssets
Namespace Prefix:	ge_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (Decrease) In Costs In Excess Of Billing On Uncompleted Contract Due To Timing Of Revenue Recognized, Equipment Contracts

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ge_IncreaseDecreaseInCostsInExcessOfBillingOnUncompletedContractDueToTimingOfRevenueRecognizedEquipmentContracts
Namespace Prefix:	ge_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (Decrease) In Non-Recurring Engineering Costs

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ge_IncreaseDecreaseInNonRecurringEngineeringCosts
Namespace Prefix:	ge_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (Decrease) In Revenue In Excess Of Billings On Long-Term Product Service Agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ge_IncreaseDecreaseInRevenueInExcessOfBillingsOnLongTermProductServiceAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	ge_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of revenue recognized that was previously included in balance of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration from customer has been received or is due.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityRevenueRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Aggregate revenue less cost of goods and services sold or operating expenses directly attributable to the revenue generation activity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1,2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=115205541&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GrossProfit
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in the value of expenditures made during the current reporting period for benefits that will be received over a period of years. Deferred charges differ from prepaid expenses in that they usually extend over a long period of time and may or may not be regularly recurring costs of operation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109223946&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDeferredCharges
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_AviationSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_PowerSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_HealthcareSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_TransportationSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_OilAndGasSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ge_RenewableEnergySegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RestatementAxis=srt_RestatementAdjustmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ChangeInAccountingEstimateByTypeAxis=ge_ChangeInEstimatedProfitabilityDrivenPrimarilyByCostExecutionAndIncreasedProductivityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: