Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net income attributable to Colgate-Palmolive Company
Basic EPS	$ 533	$ 542
Diluted EPS	$ 533	$ 542
Shares
Basic EPS (in shares)	893,700,000	907,700,000
Stock options and restricted stock units (in shares)	6,500,000	8,600,000
Diluted EPS (in shares)	900,200,000	916,300,000
Per Share
Basic EPS (in dollars per share)	$ 0.60	$ 0.60
Diluted EPS (in dollars per share)	$ 0.59	$ 0.59
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount (in shares)	3,361,727	1,566,993