Accrued Performance Fees - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) fund	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) fund	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) fund
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Percentage of accrued performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	54.00%	55.00%
Number of Partnership's Corporate Private Equity funds related to accrued performance fees | fund	3	2
Percentage of performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	51.00%	71.00%	63.00%
Performance fees related to certain Corporate Private Equity funds	$ 422.1	$ 1,200.0	$ 1,500.0
Number of Partnership's Corporate Private Equity funds related to performance fees | fund	2	2	3
Number of Partnership's Real Asset Funds related to performance fees | fund	2
Carlyle Partners V, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds		$ 680.5	$ 725.2
Carlyle Europe Partners III, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds	$ 273.4	$ 658.5	580.8
Carlyle Asia Partners III, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds	202.7
Carlyle Realty Partners VI, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds	116.4
Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy and Power Fund III, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds	$ (102.6)
Carlyle Partners IV, L.P.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue recognized on certain Corporate Private Equity funds			$ 419.1