Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015	[2]	Jun. 30, 2015	[3]	Mar. 31, 2015	[4]	Dec. 31, 2014	[5]	Sep. 30, 2014	[6]	Jun. 30, 2014	[7]	Mar. 31, 2014	[8]	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Income [Abstract]
Basic EPS																	$ 1,384		$ 2,180		$ 2,241
Diluted EPS																	$ 1,384		$ 2,180		$ 2,241
Shares [Abstract]
Basic EPS (in shares)																	902,200,000		915,100,000		930,800,000
Stock options and restricted stock (in shares)																	7,500,000		9,200,000		9,100,000
Diluted EPS (in shares)																	909,700,000		924,300,000		939,900,000
Earnings Per Share, Basic [Abstract]
Basic EPS (in dollars per share)	$ (0.51)	[1]	$ 0.81		$ 0.63		$ 0.60		$ 0.69		$ 0.59		$ 0.68		$ 0.42		$ 1.53	[9]	$ 2.38	[10]	$ 2.41
Earnings Per Share, Diluted [Abstract]
Diluted EPS (in dollars per share)	$ (0.51)	[1],[11]	$ 0.80		$ 0.63		$ 0.59		$ 0.68		$ 0.59		$ 0.67		$ 0.42		$ 1.52	[9]	$ 2.36	[10]	$ 2.38
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	6,600,000
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount																	3,228,359		1,729,511		1,785,032
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount																	120		2,311		3,709

[1] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the fourth quarter of 2015 include a $1,058 aftertax charge related to the change in accounting for the Company’s Venezuelan operations, $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and a $14 charge for a foreign competition law matter.

[2] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the third quarter of 2015 include $35 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, a $12 aftertax charge related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and a $120 aftertax gain on sale of the Company’s laundry detergent business in the South Pacific.

[3] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the second quarter of 2015 include $40 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $10 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and a $15 charge for a foreign tax matter

[4] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the first quarter of 2015 include $67 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program.

[5] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the fourth quarter of 2014 include $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and a $30 charge for a foreign competition law matter.

[6] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the third quarter of 2014 include $41 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $40 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation, an $11 charge for a foreign competition law matter, $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico and a $66 charge for a foreign tax matter.

[7] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the second quarter of 2014 include $53 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program and $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[8] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the first quarter of 2014 include $73 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, a $174 aftertax charge related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of an effective devaluation and $1 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico.

[9] Net income (loss) including noncontrolling interests, Net income (loss) attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings (loss) per common share for the full year of 2015 include a $1,058 aftertax charge related to the change in accounting for the Company’s Venezuelan operations, $183 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $22 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of effective devaluations, a $120 aftertax gain on the sale of the Company’s laundry detergent business in the South Pacific, a $15 charge for a foreign tax matter and a $14 aftertax charge related to a foreign competition law matter.

[10] Net income including noncontrolling interests, Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company and earnings per common share for the full year of 2014 include $208 of aftertax charges related to the 2012 Restructuring Program, $214 of aftertax charges related to the remeasurement of CP Venezuela’s local currency-denominated net monetary assets as a result of effective devaluations, $41 of charges for a foreign competition law matter, $3 of aftertax costs related to the sale of land in Mexico and a $66 charge for a foreign tax matter.

[11] The computation for Diluted (loss) per common share for the fourth quarter of 2015 excludes 6.6 million of incremental common shares outstanding during the period as they are anti-dilutive.