Information Provided in Connection With Outstanding Debt (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Assets:
Short-term investments	$ 29,098,000,000	$ 43,738,000,000
Other investments	384,008,000,000	366,674,000,000
Total investments	413,106,000,000	410,412,000,000
Cash	1,542,000,000	1,558,000,000	1,668,000,000	4,400,000,000
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	456,000,000	4,079,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	129,153,000,000	159,941,000,000
Assets held for sale		107,453,000,000
Total assets	544,257,000,000	683,443,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	285,943,000,000	274,353,000,000
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Commercial Paper Funding Facility		20,985,000,000
Other long-term debt	77,389,000,000	85,476,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	84,715,000,000	91,644,000,000
Liabilities held for sale		97,312,000,000
Total liabilities	448,047,000,000	569,770,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Notes 1 and 16):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury	9,303,000,000
Other	105,000,000	434,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	9,408,000,000	434,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	86,031,000,000	85,319,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests held by Federal Reserve Bank of New York		26,358,000,000
Other noncontrolling interests	771,000,000	1,562,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests	771,000,000	27,920,000,000
Total equity	86,802,000,000	113,239,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	544,257,000,000	683,443,000,000
American International Group, Inc. (As Guarantor)
Assets:
Short-term investments	17,261,000,000	5,602,000,000
Other investments	6,597,000,000	5,852,000,000
Total investments	23,858,000,000	11,454,000,000
Cash	165,000,000	49,000,000	73,000,000	57,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	39,620,000,000	61,630,000,000
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	166,000,000	3,838,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	82,863,000,000	93,511,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	6,261,000,000	7,852,000,000
Total assets	152,933,000,000	178,334,000,000
Liabilities:
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Commercial Paper Funding Facility		20,985,000,000
Other long-term debt	38,358,000,000	40,443,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	15,437,000,000	31,586,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	13,107,000,000	1,000,000
Total liabilities	66,902,000,000	93,015,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Notes 1 and 16):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	86,031,000,000	85,319,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total equity	86,031,000,000	85,319,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	152,933,000,000	178,334,000,000
Intercompany tax payable	9,900,000,000	28,100,000,000
Intercompany derivative liabilities	586,000,000	150,000,000
SAFG, Inc
Assets:
Cash				2,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	33,465,000,000	33,354,000,000
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	2,700,000,000	2,717,000,000
Total assets	36,165,000,000	36,071,000,000
Liabilities:
Other long-term debt	1,638,000,000	1,637,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	3,381,000,000	4,414,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	291,000,000	379,000,000
Total liabilities	5,310,000,000	6,430,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Notes 1 and 16):
Total AIG shareholders' equity	30,855,000,000	29,641,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Total equity	30,855,000,000	29,641,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	36,165,000,000	36,071,000,000
Intercompany tax receivable	108,000,000	152,000,000
Other Subsidiaries
Assets:
Short-term investments	17,142,000,000	39,907,000,000
Other investments	480,385,000,000	486,494,000,000
Total investments	497,527,000,000	526,401,000,000
Cash	1,377,000,000	1,509,000,000
Loans to subsidiaries	(39,620,000,000)	(61,630,000,000)
Debt issuance costs, including prepaid commitment asset	290,000,000	241,000,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(2,652,000,000)	(6,788,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	122,326,000,000	150,157,000,000
Assets held for sale		107,453,000,000
Total assets	579,248,000,000	717,343,000,000
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	286,242,000,000	274,590,000,000
Other long-term debt	138,725,000,000	167,532,000,000
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	75,219,000,000	59,354,000,000
Loans from subsidiaries	(13,398,000,000)	(380,000,000)
Liabilities held for sale		97,300,000,000
Total liabilities	486,788,000,000	598,396,000,000
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Notes 1 and 16):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury		207,000,000
Other	29,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	29,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	91,132,000,000	117,641,000,000
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Other noncontrolling interests	1,299,000,000	1,099,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests		1,099,000,000
Total equity	92,431,000,000	118,740,000,000
Total liabilities and equity	579,248,000,000	717,343,000,000
Reclassifications and Eliminations
Assets:
Short-term investments	(5,305,000,000)	(1,771,000,000)
Other investments	(102,974,000,000)	(125,672,000,000)
Total investments	(108,279,000,000)	(127,443,000,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(113,676,000,000)	(120,077,000,000)
Other assets, including current and deferred income taxes	(2,134,000,000)	(785,000,000)
Total assets	(224,089,000,000)	(248,305,000,000)
Liabilities:
Insurance liabilities	(299,000,000)	(237,000,000)
Other long-term debt	(101,332,000,000)	(124,136,000,000)
Other liabilities, including intercompany balances	(9,322,000,000)	(3,710,000,000)
Liabilities held for sale		12,000,000
Total liabilities	(110,953,000,000)	(128,071,000,000)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Notes 1 and 16):
Nonvoting, callable, junior preferred interests held by Department of the Treasury	9,303,000,000	227,000,000
Other	76,000,000
Total redeemable noncontrolling interests	9,379,000,000
Total AIG shareholders' equity	(121,987,000,000)	(147,282,000,000)
Non-redeemable noncontrolling interests (see Note 1):
Nonvoting, callable, junior and senior preferred interests held by Federal Reserve Bank of New York		26,358,000,000
Other noncontrolling interests	(528,000,000)	463,000,000
Total non-redeemable noncontrolling interests		26,821,000,000
Total equity	(122,515,000,000)	(120,461,000,000)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (224,089,000,000)	$ (248,305,000,000)