Variable Interest Entities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended																					3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012 Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Consolidated Variable Interest Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Asset Backed Financing Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Industrial Equipment Joint Venture [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Power Generating And Leasing [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Power Generating And Leasing [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Power Generating And Leasing [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Insurance Entities [Member]	May 01, 2012 Trinity [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trinity [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trinity [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Other [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Credit Card Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Equipment [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Commercial Real Estate [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Loans and Finance Receivables [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Investment Securities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Assets, Total [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Nonrecourse Borrowings [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities Other [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Trade Accounts Receivable [Member] Consolidated Securitization Entities [Member] Liabilities, Total [Member]
Assets And Liabilities Of Consolidated VIEs [Line Items]
Principal Amount Of GICs Redeemed	$ 386			$ 386																															$ 1,981
Assets	558,804	[1]		558,804	[1]		584,536	[1]																					823	1,620	2,343			1,198
Liabilities	478,218	[1]		478,218	[1]		506,736	[1]																					754	880	583			604
Assets VIE									41,121	37,860	4,875	5,320	3,629	3,149	49,625	46,329																1,415				0	0	3,829	4,289	349	389	4,178	4,678										4,724	2,973	1,046	1,031	1,589	2,250	7,359	6,254									19,847	19,229	0	0	1,136	17	20,983	19,246									11,596	10,523	0	0	332	283	11,928	10,806									3,055	3,521	0	0	223	210	3,278	3,731									1,899	1,614	0	0	0	0	1,899	1,614
Liabilities VIE																	1,308	848	29,796	28,758	3,741	5,847	34,845	35,453									537											0	0	0	0	2,167	4,456	2,167	4,456										1,280	821	745	980	1,472	1,312	3,497	3,113									0	0	14,974	14,184	85	37	15,059	14,221									3	2	9,312	8,166	0	0	9,315	8,168									25	25	3,163	3,659	4	19	3,192	3,703									0	0	1,602	1,769	13	23	1,615	1,792
Total revenues of consolidated VIEs	11,458		12,440	22,900		25,476																			1,660	1,394	3,240	2,885
Provision for Loan and Lease Losses	743		792	1,606		1,932																			170	188	370	550
Interest And Other Financial Charges																									115	151	247	307
Amounts Owed To Consolidated Securitization Entities																																																				6,062
Receivable From Consolidated Securitization Entities																																																				$ 5,112

[1] (a) Our consolidated assets at June 30, 2012 include total assets of $47,499 million of certain variable interest entities (VIEs) that can only be used to settle the liabilities of those VIEs. These assets include net financing receivables of $38,554 million and investment securities of $4,874 million. Our consolidated liabilities at June 30, 2012 include liabilities of certain VIEs for which the VIE creditors do not have recourse to GECC. These liabilities include non-recourse borrowings of consolidated securitization entities (CSEs) of $29,796 million. See Note 13.