Name:	afl_PercentageOfTotalPremiumsAndOtherReceivablesNet
Namespace Prefix:	afl_
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Period Type:	instant

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date, net of allowance for doubtful accounts, of all premiums and other types of receivables due from other persons or entities.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.5)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

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Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
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Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
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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.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=afl_AflacJapanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_MajorPropertyClassAxis=us-gaap_BuildingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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