Interim Financial Information - Current (Expanded Income Statement) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2013		Oct. 31, 2012		Jul. 31, 2012		Apr. 30, 2012		Jan. 31, 2012		Oct. 31, 2011		Jul. 31, 2011		Apr. 30, 2011		Jan. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2012		Jan. 31, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 7,442,372	[1],[2]	$ 6,037,475		$ 5,968,419		$ 5,910,063		$ 6,874,391	[3]	$ 6,404,585		$ 6,214,304		$ 6,154,033		$ 25,358,329	$ 25,647,313	[4]	$ 23,619,938	[4]
Cost of products sold	7,071,398		5,731,396		5,665,826		5,586,655		6,508,128		6,066,807		5,878,219		5,816,718		24,055,275	24,269,872	[4]	22,341,685	[4]
Gross profit	370,974	[1],[2]	306,079		302,593		323,408		366,263	[3]	337,778		336,085		337,315		1,303,054	1,377,441	[4]	1,278,253	[4]
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	284,156		242,484		242,282		240,950		267,365		254,526		262,947		259,763		1,009,872	1,044,601	[4]	956,845	[4]
Loss on disposal of subsidiaries									28,294		0		0		0		0	28,294	[4]	0	[4]
Value added tax assessment	29,462		0		0		0										29,462	0	[4]	0	[4]
Operating expenses, Total	313,618		242,484		242,282		240,950		295,659		254,526		262,947		259,763		1,039,334	1,072,895	[4]	956,845	[4]
Operating income	57,356	[1],[2]	63,595		60,311		82,458		70,604		83,252		73,138		77,552		263,720	304,546	[4]	321,408	[4]
Interest expense	19,276		4,359		3,422		3,069		6,235		8,378		8,089		8,675		30,126	31,377	[4]	29,926	[4]
Other expense (income), net	(1,011)		(1,070)		(1,812)		(235)		670		(1,868)		(958)		1,298		4,128	858	[4]	(4,350)	[4]
Income before income taxes	37,069		58,166		55,077		79,154		65,039		73,006		64,091		70,175		229,466	272,311	[4]	295,832	[4]
Provision for income taxes	(7,372)		14,106		16,550		23,142		15,923		19,500		17,096		18,590		46,426	71,109	[4]	82,840	[4]
Consolidated net income	44,441	[1],[2]	44,060		38,527		56,012		49,116	[3]	53,506		46,995		51,585		183,040	201,202	[4]	212,992	[4]
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0		1,123		3,828		1,834		5,140		3,644		1,649		19		(6,785)	(10,452)	[4]	(4,620)	[4]
Net income attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation	44,441	[1],[2]	42,937		34,699		54,178		43,976	[3]	49,862		45,346		51,566		176,255	190,750	[4]	208,372	[4]
Net income per share attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 1.18	[1],[2]	$ 1.14		$ 0.89		$ 1.32		$ 1.07		$ 1.18		$ 1.01		$ 1.10		$ 4.53	$ 4.36	[4]	$ 4.29	[4]
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 1.17	[1],[2]	$ 1.13		$ 0.89		$ 1.30		$ 1.05		$ 1.17		$ 0.99		$ 1.09		$ 4.50	$ 4.30	[4]	$ 4.25	[4]
As Previously Reported
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	7,463,400	[5]	6,040,556		5,961,500		5,895,561		7,112,552		6,593,983		6,449,461		6,332,128			26,488,124		24,375,973
Cost of products sold	7,083,520	[5]	5,732,295		5,660,256		5,575,344		6,737,608		6,249,236		6,108,623		5,998,666			25,094,133		23,092,685
Gross profit	379,880	[5]	308,261		301,244		320,217		374,944		344,747		340,838		333,462			1,393,991		1,283,288
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	286,350	[5]	238,715		241,988		239,324		262,819		255,178		262,063		257,779			1,037,839		949,303
Loss on disposal of subsidiaries									28,294		0		0		0			28,294
Value added tax assessment	0	[5]	0		0		0
Operating expenses, Total	286,350	[5]	238,715		241,988		239,324		291,113		255,178		262,063		257,779			1,066,133
Operating income	93,530	[5]	69,546		59,256		80,893		83,831		89,569		78,775		75,683			327,858		333,985
Interest expense	7,691	[5]	4,359		3,422		3,069		6,235		8,378		8,089		8,641			31,343		29,926
Other expense (income), net	(2,503)	[5]	(2,044)		(1,178)		(1,344)		(311)		(428)		212		(666)			1,193		444
Income before income taxes	83,336	[5]	63,143		54,656		76,480		77,285		80,763		70,898		66,376			295,322		303,615
Provision for income taxes	794	[5]	16,122		16,370		22,954		18,076		23,600		19,142		17,656			78,474		84,752
Consolidated net income	82,542	[5]	47,021		38,286		53,526		59,209		57,163		51,756		48,720			216,848		218,863
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	[5]	1,123		3,828		1,834		5,140		3,644		1,649		19			(10,452)		(4,620)
Net income attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation	82,542	[5]	45,898		34,458		51,692		54,069		53,519		50,107		48,701			206,396		214,243
Net income per share attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ 2.18	[5]	$ 1.22		$ 0.89		$ 1.26		$ 1.31		$ 1.27		$ 1.11		$ 1.04			$ 4.72		$ 4.41
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 2.17	[5]	$ 1.21		$ 0.88		$ 1.24		$ 1.29		$ 1.26		$ 1.10		$ 1.03			$ 4.66		$ 4.36
Adjustments
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(21,028)	[6],[7]	(3,081)	[6]	6,919	[6]	14,502	[6]	(238,161)	[6]	(189,398)	[6]	(235,157)	[6]	(178,095)	[6]		(840,811)	[8]	(756,035)	[9]
Cost of products sold	(12,122)	[6],[7]	(899)	[6]	5,570	[6]	11,311	[6]	(229,480)	[6]	(182,429)	[6]	(230,404)	[6]	(181,948)	[6]		(824,261)	[10]	(751,000)	[11]
Gross profit	(8,906)	[6],[7]	(2,182)	[6]	1,349	[6]	3,191	[6]	(8,681)	[6]	(6,969)	[6]	(4,753)	[6]	3,853	[6]		(16,550)		(5,035)
Operating expenses:
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(2,194)	[6],[7]	3,769	[6]	294	[6]	1,626	[6]	4,546	[6]	(652)	[6]	884	[6]	1,984	[6]		6,762	[12]	7,542	[13]
Loss on disposal of subsidiaries									0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]		0
Value added tax assessment	29,462	[6],[7]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]
Operating expenses, Total	27,268	[6],[7]	3,769	[6]	294	[6]	1,626	[6]	4,546	[6]	(652)	[6]	884	[6]	1,984	[6]		6,762
Operating income	(36,174)	[6],[7]	(5,951)	[6]	1,055	[6]	1,565	[6]	(13,227)	[6]	(6,317)	[6]	(5,637)	[6]	1,869	[6]		(23,312)		(12,577)
Interest expense	11,585	[6],[7]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	34	[6]		34		0
Other expense (income), net	1,492	[6],[7]	974	[6]	(634)	[6]	1,109	[6]	981	[6]	(1,440)	[6]	(1,170)	[6]	1,964	[6]		(335)		(4,794)	[14]
Income before income taxes	(46,267)	[6],[7]	(4,977)	[6]	421	[6]	2,674	[6]	(12,246)	[6]	(7,757)	[6]	(6,807)	[6]	3,799	[6]		(23,011)		(7,783)
Provision for income taxes	(8,166)	[6],[7]	(2,016)	[6]	180	[6]	188	[6]	(2,153)	[6]	(4,100)	[6]	(2,046)	[6]	934	[6]		(7,365)	[15]	(1,912)	[15]
Consolidated net income	(38,101)	[6],[7]	(2,961)	[6]	241	[6]	2,486	[6]	(10,093)	[6]	(3,657)	[6]	(4,761)	[6]	2,865	[6]		(15,646)		(5,871)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	[6],[7]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]	0	[6]		0		0
Net income attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation	$ (38,101)	[6],[7]	$ (2,961)	[6]	$ 241	[6]	$ 2,486	[6]	$ (10,093)	[6]	$ (3,657)	[6]	$ (4,761)	[6]	$ 2,865	[6]		$ (15,646)		$ (5,871)
Net income per share attributable to shareholders of Tech Data Corporation
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$ (1.00)	[6],[7]	$ (0.08)	[6]	$ 0.00	[6]	$ 0.06	[6]	$ (0.24)	[6]	$ (0.09)	[6]	$ (0.10)	[6]	$ 0.06	[6]		$ (0.36)		$ (0.12)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ (1.00)	[6],[7]	$ (0.08)	[6]	$ 0.01	[6]	$ 0.06	[6]	$ (0.24)	[6]	$ (0.09)	[6]	$ (0.11)	[6]	$ 0.06	[6]		$ (0.36)		$ (0.11)

[1] During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company recorded a $41.0 million increase in an accrual for various value added tax matters in one of the Company’s subsidiaries in Spain, which decreased earnings per diluted share by $0.89 for the quarter ended January 31, 2013 (see Note 14 - Commitments and Contingencies for further discussion).

[2] During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company recorded an income tax benefit of $25.1 million for the reversal of deferred tax valuation allowances related to a specific jurisdiction in Europe which had been recorded in prior fiscal years, which increased earnings per diluted share by $0.66 for the quarter ended January 31, 2013 (see further discussion in Note 9 - Income Taxes).

[3] During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company recorded a $28.3 million loss on disposal of subsidiaries related to the closure of the commercial operations in Brazil and Colombia, which decreased earnings per diluted share by $0.46 for the quarter ended January 31, 2012 (see also Note 7 - Loss on Disposal of Subsidiaries).

[4] See Note 2 - Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statements.

[5] As previously reported in Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 4, 2013.

[6] The adjustments are to correct errors previously discussed in Note 2 - Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statements.

[7] Adjustments to previously reported amounts in Current Report on Form 8-K filed March 4, 2013 (see Note 2 - Restatement of Consolidated Financial Statements).

[8] Net sales and cost of products sold adjustments primarily reflect the impact to appropriately present sales of vendor warranty services and certain fulfillment contracts on an agency basis as net fees of $833.2 million, consistent with fiscal year 2013.

[9] Net sales and cost of products sold adjustments primarily reflect the impact to appropriately present sales of vendor warranty services and certain fulfillment contracts on an agency basis as net fees of $740.6 million, consistent with fiscal year 2013.

[10] Gross profit adjustments primarily reflect the impact of vendor accounting errors in the Company's primary operating subsidiary in the UK and two other European subsidiaries of $17.8 million and various other immaterial errors.

[11] Gross profit adjustments primarily reflect the impact of vendor accounting errors in the Company's primary operating subsidiary in the UK and two other European subsidiaries of $5.7 million, partially offset by the impact of reversing the improper deferral of net foreign currency exchange losses in a European subsidiary of $2.9 million.

[12] Selling, general and administrative expenses adjustments primarily reflect the impact of errors in the Company's primary operating subsidiary in the UK and two other European subsidiaries of $6.7 million, which includes adjustments for uncollectible accounts receivable of $2.6 million and various other immaterial errors.

[13] Selling, general and administrative expenses include an adjustment to reclassify investment income of $4.8 million related to the Company’s deferred compensation plan assets from selling, general and administrative expenses where it was recorded as a reduction of the corresponding payroll expense related to the plan to other expense (income), net and various other adjustments to correct immaterial errors.

[14] Other expense (income), net has been adjusted to reclassify investment income of $4.8 million related to the Company’s deferred compensation plan assets from selling, general and administrative expenses where it was recorded as a reduction of the corresponding payroll expense related to the plan.

[15] The provision for income taxes has been adjusted primarily to reduce tax expense as a result of the reduction of profit resulting from the restatement adjustments described herein.