Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity and Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjustment [Member]	Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Common Stock [Member]		Common Stock [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]		Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-In-Capital [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjustment [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Class A Common Stock Held By Subsidiaries [Member]	Class A Common Stock Held By Subsidiaries [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjustment [Member]	Total Lazard Ltd Stockholders' Equity [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member] Cumulative Effect Period Of Adoption Adjusted Balance [Member]	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 970,093			$ 1,298				$ 750,692		$ 1,195,563			$ (273,818)		$ (756,884)		$ 916,851			$ 53,242
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018				129,766,091											17,574,805
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income	297,716									286,500							286,500			11,216
Other comprehensive income (loss) - net of tax	(19,830)												(19,830)				(19,830)
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	253,284							248,104									248,104			5,180
Dividend equivalents	(7,536)							28,801		(32,899)							(4,098)			(3,438)
Class A common stock dividends	(254,924)									(254,924)							(254,924)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (494,687)														$ (494,687)		(494,687)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	13,674,439														13,674,439
Cancellation of Class A common stock held				$ (170)				(675,911)							$ 676,081
Cancellation of Class A common stock held				(17,000,000)											(17,000,000)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (95,522)							(336,970)							$ 241,448		(95,522)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															(5,686,227)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Class A common stock issuable (including related amortization)	27,592							27,592									27,592
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense)	5							(1,958)							$ 1,963		5
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense) (in shares)															(49,524)
Dividend equivalents								670		(670)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(11,495)																			(11,495)
LFI Consolidated Funds	16,878																			16,878
Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	681,574	$ (7,575)	$ 673,999	$ 1,128		$ 1,128		41,020	$ 41,020	1,193,570	$ (7,575)	$ 1,185,995	(293,648)	$ (293,648)	$ (332,079)	$ (332,079)	609,991	$ (7,575)	$ 602,416	71,583	$ 71,583
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2019				112,766,091	[1]	112,766,091	[1]								8,513,493	8,513,493
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income	402,692									402,461							402,461			231
Other comprehensive income (loss) - net of tax	55,282												55,280				55,280			2
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	218,449							215,122									215,122			3,327
Dividend equivalents	(7,013)							20,187		(22,457)							(2,270)			(4,743)
Class A common stock dividends	(196,598)									(196,598)							(196,598)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (95,227)														$ (95,227)		(95,227)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	2,912,035														2,912,035
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (71,626)							(142,195)		(74,228)					$ 144,797		(71,626)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															(3,675,812)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Class A common stock issuable (including related amortization)	147							147									147
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense)								(696)							$ 696
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense) (in shares)															(21,329)
Dividend equivalents								1,854		(1,854)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(2,438)																			(2,438)
LFI Consolidated Funds	19,699																			19,699
Other	2,067									2,067							2,067
Balance at Dec. 31, 2020	999,433			$ 1,128				135,439		1,295,386			(238,368)		$ (281,813)		911,772			87,661
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020				112,766,091	[1]										7,728,387
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income	542,545
Net income (loss) excluding redeemable noncontrolling interests	546,210									528,064							528,064			18,146		$ (3,665)
Other comprehensive income (loss) - net of tax	14,521												14,521				14,521
Amortization of share-based incentive compensation	233,958							224,692									224,692			9,266
Dividend equivalents	(8,359)							17,472		(18,907)							(1,435)			(6,924)
Class A common stock dividends	(195,944)									(195,944)							(195,944)
Purchase of Class A common stock	$ (406,149)														$ (406,149)		(406,149)
Purchase of Class A common stock (in shares)	9,124,295														9,124,295
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit)	$ (69,552)							(166,301)		(47,902)					$ 144,651		(69,552)
Delivery of Class A common stock in connection with share-based incentive compensation and related tax expense (benefit) (in shares)															(3,788,494)
Business acquisitions and related equity transactions:
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense)								(35,885)							$ 35,885
Delivery of Class A common stock and related tax benefit (expense) (in shares)															(1,018,048)
Dividend equivalents								61		(61)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests, net	(11,064)																			(11,064)
LFI Consolidated Funds	18,832																			18,832
Contribution from redeemable noncontrolling interests, net																						534,746
Change in redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interests	(43,919)							(30,749)									(30,749)			(13,170)		43,919
Other	(3)																			(3)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2021	$ 1,077,964			$ 1,128				$ 144,729		$ 1,560,636			$ (223,847)		$ (507,426)		$ 975,220			$ 102,744		$ 575,000
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021				112,766,091	[1]										12,046,140

[1] Includes 112,766,091 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock issued at December 31, 2019, 2020 and 2021.