REINSURANCE - Effect of Reinsurance on Premiums and Benefits and Claims (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Direct premium income	$ 4,793	$ 4,752	$ 9,626	$ 9,476
Net premium income	4,706	4,665	9,450	9,303
Direct benefits and claims	3,106	3,117	6,225	6,246
Benefits and claims, net	3,031	3,039	6,073	6,091
All other
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Ceded premiums	(16)	(13)	(30)	(25)
Assumed premiums earned	2	1	3	3
Ceded benefits and claims	(12)	(11)	(23)	(22)
Assumed benefits and claims from other companies	2	0	1	2
Aflac Japan
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Net premium income	3,227	3,222	6,490	6,416
Aflac Japan \| Closed Block
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Ceded premiums	(126)	(130)	(256)	(260)
Assumed premiums earned	53	55	107	109
Ceded benefits and claims	(114)	(119)	(231)	(241)
Assumed benefits and claims from other companies	49	52	101	106
Intercompany eliminations
Effects of Reinsurance [Line Items]
Ceded benefits and claims	11	13	23	26
Assumed benefits and claims from other companies	$ (11)	$ (13)	$ (23)	$ (26)

Amount of earned premiums assumed from other entities.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-17(Column D))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713774&loc=d3e574992-122915

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of earned premiums ceded to other entities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-17(Column C))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713774&loc=d3e574992-122915

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84167274&loc=d3e27175-158546

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CededPremiumsEarned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before premiums ceded to other entities and premiums assumed by the entity, of premiums earned.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-17(Column B))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713774&loc=d3e574992-122915

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DirectPremiumsEarned
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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_EffectsOfReinsuranceLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, before effect of policies assumed or ceded, of expense related to provision for policy benefits and costs incurred.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderBenefitsAndClaimsIncurredGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after effects of policies assumed or ceded, of expense related to the provision for policy benefits and costs incurred.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PolicyholderBenefitsAndClaimsIncurredNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount, after premiums ceded to other entities and premiums assumed by the entity, of premiums earned.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-04(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873790&loc=SL114874131-224263

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 235
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-17(Column E))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34713774&loc=d3e574992-122915

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 220
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04(13)(c))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114873765&loc=SL114874048-224260

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 605
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6486672&loc=d3e27261-158547

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of policy benefits and costs incurred for policies assumed.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99397103&loc=d3e6811-158387

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ReinsuranceEffectOnClaimsAndBenefitsIncurredAmountAssumed
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of reduction of provision for policy benefits and costs incurred for policies ceded.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=us-gaap_OtherInsuranceProductLineMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=afl_ClosedblockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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