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BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION - Operations by Segment - Pretax Earnings (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings $ 1,035us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss $ 1,169us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Realized investment gains (losses), non-operating (4)afl_GainLossOnInvestmentsNonoperating [1] (56)afl_GainLossOnInvestmentsNonoperating [1]
Other non-operating income (loss) (18)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense (9)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Earnings before income taxes 1,013us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments 1,104us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Income taxes applicable to pretax operating earnings 357afl_IncomeTaxesApplicableToPretaxOperatingEarnings 395afl_IncomeTaxesApplicableToPretaxOperatingEarnings
Effect of foreign currency translation on operating earnings (58)afl_EffectOfForeignCurrencyTranslationOnOperatingEarnings (48)afl_EffectOfForeignCurrencyTranslationOnOperatingEarnings
Gain (loss) on change in fair value of derivative, interest rate component, operating 17afl_GainLossOnChangeInFairValueOfDerivativeInterestRateComponentOperating 10afl_GainLossOnChangeInFairValueOfDerivativeInterestRateComponentOperating
Aflac Japan    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings 819us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_AflacJapanMember
933us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_AflacJapanMember
Aflac U.S.    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings 285us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_AflacUsMember
303us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_AflacUsMember
Other business segments    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings 1us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_AllOtherSegmentsMember
0us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_AllOtherSegmentsMember
Total Business Segments    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings 1,105us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
1,236us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_OperatingSegmentsMember
Interest expense, noninsurance operations    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings (49)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
(50)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
Corporate and eliminations    
Segment Reporting, Reconciling Item for Operating Profit (Loss) from Segment to Consolidated [Line Items]    
Pretax operating earnings $ (21)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_CorporateAndEliminationsMember
$ (17)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= afl_CorporateAndEliminationsMember
[1] Excluding a gain of $17 and $10 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively, related to the interest rate component of the change in fair value of foreign currency swaps on notes payable which is classified as an operating gain when analyzing segment operations