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Investments (Impaired Mortgage Loans) (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance $ 17,593us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance $ 38,470us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment 17,027us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment 37,841us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance 816us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance 3,211us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance  
Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance 16,211rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance 34,630rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 27,054us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment [1] 37,841us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment [1] 49,983us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment [1]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method 1,284us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod 1,803us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod 1,669us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
Impaired mortgage loans with no valuation allowance recorded      
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance 7,314us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 21,698us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment 6,711us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 21,100us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance 0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 0us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance 6,711rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 21,100rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 13,227us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1] 15,023us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1] 15,549us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method 647us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 852us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember		 1,244us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithNoRelatedAllowanceMember
Impaired mortgage loans with valuation allowance recorded      
Financing Receivable, Impaired [Line Items]      
Impaired Financing Receivable, Unpaid Principal Balance 10,279us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 16,772us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableUnpaidPrincipalBalance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment 10,316us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 16,741us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Related Allowance 816us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 3,211us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable Net Of Related Allowance 9,500rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 13,530rga_ImpairedFinancingReceivableNetOfRelatedAllowance
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		  
Impaired Financing Receivable, Average Recorded Investment 13,827us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1] 22,818us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1] 34,434us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableAverageRecordedInvestment
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 [1]
Impaired Financing Receivable, Interest Income, Accrual Method $ 637us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 $ 951us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember		 $ 425us-gaap_ImpairedFinancingReceivableInterestIncomeAccrualMethod
/ us-gaap_FinancingReceivableRecordedInvestmentByClassOfFinancingReceivableAxis
= rga_CommercialRealEstateOtherReceivableWithRelatedAllowanceMember
[1] Average recorded investment represents the average loan balances as of the beginning of period and all subsequent quarterly end of period balances.