Loans Receivable and Allowance for Credit Losses (Accretable Yield for PCI Loans) (Details) - PCI Loans - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Changes in the accretable yield for the PCI loans
Beginning balance	$ 101,977	$ 136,247	$ 214,907
Accretion	(34,662)	(42,487)	(68,708)
Changes in expected cash flows	7,555	8,217	(9,952)
Ending balance	$ 74,870	$ 101,977	$ 136,247

Represents the change in the estimate of cash flows expected to be collected. This relates to loans not accounted as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that was acquired by completion of a transfer for which it is probable, at acquisition, that the investor will be unable to collect all contractually required payments receivable.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ewbc_ChangesInExpectedCashFlows
Namespace Prefix:	ewbc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in acquired loans not accounted for as debt securities with evidence of deterioration of credit quality.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 15
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894507&loc=d3e13503-111538

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82894903&loc=d3e15032-111544

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYield
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of accretion recognized for the excess of a loan's cash flows expected to be collected over the investor's initial investment in acquired loans not accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldAccretion
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAccretableYieldMovementScheduleRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditLossStatusAxis=us-gaap_FinancialAssetAcquiredWithCreditDeteriorationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: