Correction of Previously Issued Financial Information - Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenue	$ 7,792.1	$ 7,399.8	$ 6,633.0	$ 5,190.8	$ 6,733.6	$ 7,810.7	$ 8,496.4	$ 7,340.7	$ 27,015.8	$ 30,381.4	$ 43,391.8
Cost of revenue									26,116.8	29,520.4	42,572.7
Gross profit	222.3	236.7	218.5	221.5	230.2	226.7	190.4	213.6	899.0	861.0	819.1
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits									413.3	365.8	319.8
Provision for bad debt									15.4	7.5	3.8
General and administrative									281.4	242.1	218.8
Total operating expenses									710.1	615.3	542.4
Income from operations									188.9	245.7	276.7
Non-operating expenses, net:
Interest expense and other financing costs, net									(39.2)	(29.9)	(25.2)
Other (expense) income, net									(7.5)	2.0	23.3
Total non-operating expenses, net									(46.7)	(27.9)	(1.9)
Income before income taxes									142.1	217.7	274.8
Provision for income taxes									15.7	47.2	53.6	$ 46.0
Net income including noncontrolling interest	2.1	43.0	29.8	51.6	49.6	42.7	29.0	49.3	126.4	170.5	221.1
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest									0.0	(3.9)	(3.3)
Net income attributable to World Fuel	$ 2.2	$ 42.7	$ 30.0	$ 51.8	$ 49.9	$ 43.7	$ 30.5	$ 50.3	$ 126.5	$ 174.5	$ 224.5
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.03	$ 0.62	$ 0.43	$ 0.74	$ 0.72	$ 0.62	$ 0.43	$ 0.71	$ 1.82	$ 2.49	$ 3.17
Basic weighted average common shares (in shares)									69.3	70.2	70.8
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.03	$ 0.61	$ 0.43	$ 0.74	$ 0.71	$ 0.62	$ 0.43	$ 0.70	$ 1.81	$ 2.47	$ 3.15
Diluted weighted average common shares (in shares)									69.8	70.7	71.3
Comprehensive income:
Net income including noncontrolling interest	$ 2.1	$ 43.0	$ 29.8	$ 51.6	$ 49.6	$ 42.7	$ 29.0	$ 49.3	$ 126.4	$ 170.5	$ 221.1
Other comprehensive (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments									(40.4)	(45.4)	(30.8)
Cash Flow hedge, net									(6.6)	(0.8)	0.0
Other comprehensive (loss)									(47.0)	(46.2)	(30.8)
Comprehensive income including noncontrolling interest									79.5	124.3	190.4
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest									1.6	(2.2)	(1.1)
Comprehensive income attributable to World Fuel									$ 77.9	126.4	191.4
As Reported
Revenue										30,379.7	43,386.4
Cost of revenue										29,519.2	42,572.8
Gross profit										860.5	813.6
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits										365.8	319.8
Provision for bad debt										7.5	3.8
General and administrative										240.0	220.9
Total operating expenses										613.3	544.5
Income from operations										247.2	269.1
Non-operating expenses, net:
Interest expense and other financing costs, net										(29.9)	(25.2)
Other (expense) income, net										2.0	25.6
Total non-operating expenses, net										(27.9)	0.4
Income before income taxes										219.3	269.5
Provision for income taxes										36.3	51.1
Net income including noncontrolling interest										183.0	218.4
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest										(3.9)	(3.3)
Net income attributable to World Fuel										$ 186.9	$ 221.7
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)										$ 2.66	$ 3.13
Basic weighted average common shares (in shares)										70.2	70.8
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)										$ 2.64	$ 3.11
Diluted weighted average common shares (in shares)										70.7	71.3
Comprehensive income:
Net income including noncontrolling interest										$ 183.0	$ 218.4
Other comprehensive (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments										(49.6)	(30.9)
Cash Flow hedge, net										0.6	0.0
Other comprehensive (loss)										(49.0)	(30.9)
Comprehensive income including noncontrolling interest										134.0	187.5
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest										0.1	(3.3)
Comprehensive income attributable to World Fuel										133.9	190.8
Adjustment
Revenue										1.7	5.4
Cost of revenue										1.2	(0.1)
Gross profit										0.5	5.5
Operating expenses:
Compensation and employee benefits										0.0	0.0
Provision for bad debt										0.0	0.0
General and administrative										2.1	(2.1)
Total operating expenses										2.0	(2.1)
Income from operations										(1.5)	7.6
Non-operating expenses, net:
Interest expense and other financing costs, net										0.0	0.0
Other (expense) income, net										0.0	(2.3)
Total non-operating expenses, net										0.0	(2.3)
Income before income taxes										(1.6)	5.3
Provision for income taxes										10.9	2.5
Net income including noncontrolling interest										(12.5)	2.7
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest										0.0	0.0
Net income attributable to World Fuel										$ (12.4)	$ 2.8
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)										$ (0.17)	$ 0.04
Basic weighted average common shares (in shares)										0.0	0.0
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)										$ (0.17)	$ 0.04
Diluted weighted average common shares (in shares)										0.0	0.0
Comprehensive income:
Net income including noncontrolling interest										$ (12.5)	$ 2.7
Other comprehensive (loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments										4.2	0.1
Cash Flow hedge, net										(1.4)	0.0
Other comprehensive (loss)										2.8	0.1
Comprehensive income including noncontrolling interest										(9.7)	2.9
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest										(8.0)	0.0
Comprehensive income attributable to World Fuel										$ (1.6)	$ 2.9