Name:	afl_CollateralRequirementsMinimumPercentageUnrestrictedCashCollateraltoFairValueoftheLoanedSecurities
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Percentage that the lending policy requires that the fair value of the securities received as collateral be of the fair value of the loaned securities in securities lending transactions.

No definition available.

Name:	afl_CollateralRequirementsMinimumSecuritiesPercentageCollateraltoFairValueofSecuritiesLoanedUnderSecurityLendingTransactions
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Commercial Mortgage Loan Commitments

No definition available.

Name:	afl_CommercialMortgageLoanCommitments
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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Commercial Mortgage Loans, Average Loan-to-Value at Origination, Limit

No definition available.

Name:	afl_CommercialMortgageLoansAverageLoantoValueatOriginationLimit
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

Commercial Mortgage Loans, Individual Loan-to-Value at Origination, Limit

No definition available.

Name:	afl_CommercialMortgageLoansIndividualLoantoValueatOriginationLimit
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Number of investments reclassified during the period from the held-to-maturity portfolio to the available-for-sale portfolio.

No definition available.

Name:	afl_HeldToMaturitySecuritiesTransferredToAvailableForSaleSecuritiesNumberOfInvestments
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Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Outstanding commitments to fund investments in limited partnerships

No definition available.

Name:	afl_LimitedPartnershipsInvestmentCommitments
Namespace Prefix:	afl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Middle Market Loan Commitments

No definition available.

Name:	afl_MiddleMarketLoanCommitments
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Middle Market Loan Program Unfunded Amount

No definition available.

Name:	afl_MiddleMarketLoanProgramUnfundedAmount
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Transitional Real Estate Loans, Average Loan-to-Value at Origination Limit,

No definition available.

Name:	afl_TransitionalRealEstateLoansAverageLoantoValueatOriginationLimit
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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Transitional Real Estate Loans, Individual Loan-to-Value at Origination, Limit

No definition available.

Name:	afl_TransitionalRealEstateLoansIndividualLoantoValueatOriginationLimit
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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
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Transitional real estate loan commitments

No definition available.

Name:	afl_Transitionalrealestateloancommitments
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of unrealized gain (loss) on investment in equity security measured at fair value with change in fair value recognized in net income (FV-NI).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 321
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116654751&loc=SL75117546-209714

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Balance Type:	credit
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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.