Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Earnings per share [Abstract]
Profit/(loss) from continuing operations attributable to Atlantica Yield Plc.	$ 120,512	$ 42,582
Average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands) - basic and diluted (in shares)	100,217	100,217
Earnings per share from continuing operations (U.S. dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 1.20	$ 0.42
Earnings per share from profit/ (loss) for the period (U.S. dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 1.20	$ 0.42

The amount of earnings per share when the basic and diluted measurements are equal. [Refer: Basic earnings (loss) per share; Diluted earnings (loss) per share]

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Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations. [Refer: Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share]

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The profit (loss) from continuing operations attributable to ordinary equity holders of the parent equity. [Refer: Continuing operations [member]; Profit (loss) from continuing operations]

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- Definition

The number of ordinary shares outstanding at the beginning of the period, adjusted by the number of ordinary shares bought back or issued during the period multiplied by a time-weighting factor.

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