Earnings Per Common Unit - Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Common Unit (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Basic
Net income attributable to The Carlyle Group L.P.	$ (83,900,000)	$ 25,400,000	$ (13,800,000)	$ 69,500,000
Dilution of earnings due to participating securities with distribution rights	820,200	(304,000)	163,250	(1,077,500)
Net loss attributable to common units	$ (83,079,800)	$ 25,096,000	$ (13,636,750)	$ 68,422,500
Weighted-average common units outstanding, basic (in shares)	78,849,332	66,474,689	72,812,892	61,422,816
Net income per common unit (usd per share)	$ (1.05)	$ 0.38	$ (0.19)	$ 1.11
Diluted
Net loss attributable to The Carlyle Group L.P.	$ (83,900,000)	$ 25,400,000	$ (13,800,000)	$ 69,500,000
Dilution of earnings due to participating securities with distribution rights	0	(290,600)	(1,423,000)	(1,105,300)
Incremental net loss from assumed exchange of Carlyle Holdings partnership units	(250,900,000)		(67,800,000)
Net loss attributable to common units	$ (334,800,000)	$ 25,109,400	$ (83,023,000)	$ 68,394,700
Weighted-average common units outstanding, diluted (in shares)	301,558,908	72,086,875	299,143,320	67,440,601
Net income per common unit (usd per share)	$ (1.11)	$ 0.35	$ (0.28)	$ 1.01