Accrued Performance Fees - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Operating Statistics [Line Items]
Percentage of accrued performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	61.00%	55.00%
Number of Partnership's Corporate Private Equity funds related to accrued performance fees	2
Percentage of performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	62.00%	86.00%	55.00%
Performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	$ 647.8	$ 964.2	$ 816.6
Number of Partnership's Corporate Private Equity funds related to performance fees	3
Revenue recognized	1,041.1	1,121.6	1,482.0
Carlyle Asia Partners II, L.P. [Member]
Operating Statistics [Line Items]
Revenue recognized	140.0
Carlyle Partners IV, L.P. [Member]
Operating Statistics [Line Items]
Revenue recognized	274.1	536.0	733.7
Carlyle Partners V, L.P. [Member]
Operating Statistics [Line Items]
Revenue recognized	482.4	678.5
Carlyle Partners III, L.P. [Member]
Operating Statistics [Line Items]
Revenue recognized			$ 159.7