Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Interest And Dividend Income Operating Abstract
Dividend income from subsidiaries	$ 0	$ 0
Loans	401,933	385,926
Money market investments	973	955
Investment securities	35,127	37,823
Trading account securities	5,257	5,514
Total interest income	443,290	430,218
Interest Expense Abstract
Deposits	29,392	38,356
Short-term borrowings	9,041	9,782
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	31,890	35,767
Total interest expense	70,323	83,905
Net interest income	372,967	346,313
Provision for loan losses	73,072	223,856
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	299,895	122,457
Fees And Commissions Depositor Accounts	41,250	43,722
Other service fees	54,043	56,093
Mortgage banking activities	3,681	20,300
Trading account profit	1,977	(984)
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	11,776	(62,719)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(10,347)	(16,143)
F D I C Loss Share Income	(24,206)	(26,266)
Noninterest Income Other Operating Income	28,391	20,054
Total non-interest income	106,565	34,057
Noninterest Expense Abstract
Labor And Related Expense	113,154	115,989
Occupancy Net	25,691	23,473
Equipment Expense	11,782	11,950
Taxes Other	13,724	11,586
Professional fees	69,792	70,497
Communication	6,934	6,832
Marketing And Advertising Expense	11,682	12,917
FDIC deposit insurance	11,973	9,280
Other Real Estate Owned Expense Net Of Gain Loss On Sale Or Disposition	6,187	46,741
Other operating expenses	23,364	21,965
Amortization of intangibles	2,504	2,468
Total operating expenses	296,787	333,698
Income (loss) before income tax	109,673	(177,184)
Income tax expense	23,264	(56,877)
Income Loss Before Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries	86,409	(120,307)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net Income	86,409	(120,307)
Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax	118,879	(139,447)
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	47,358	206,300
Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	25,714	17,556
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
Interest And Dividend Income Operating Abstract
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	562	1,009
Money market investments	7	38
Investment securities	166	4,146
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest income	735	5,193
Interest Expense Abstract
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	26,054	24,758
Total interest expense	26,054	24,758
Net interest income	(25,319)	(19,565)
Provision for loan losses	(208)	(40)
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(25,111)	(19,525)
Fees And Commissions Depositor Accounts	0	0
Other service fees	0	0
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Sale and valuation adjustments of investment securities	0	0
Trading account profit	21	76
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
F D I C Loss Share Income	0	0
Fair value change in equity appreciation instrument	0	0
Noninterest Income Other Operating Income	3,401	870
Total non-interest income	3,422	946
Noninterest Expense Abstract
Labor And Related Expense	8,309	7,379
Occupancy Net	932	828
Equipment Expense	941	1,080
Taxes Other	184	83
Professional fees	3,046	2,311
Communication	127	93
Marketing And Advertising Expense	411	430
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other Real Estate Owned Expense Net Of Gain Loss On Sale Or Disposition	0	0
Other operating expenses	(13,768)	(12,615)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	182	(411)
Income (loss) before income tax	(21,871)	(18,168)
Income tax expense	(834)	515
Income Loss Before Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries	(21,037)	(18,683)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	107,446	(101,624)
Net Income	86,409	(120,307)
Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax	118,879	(139,447)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	(208)	(40)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	0	0
PNA Holding Co.
Interest And Dividend Income Operating Abstract
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	0	0
Money market investments	3	1
Investment securities	80	81
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest income	83	82
Interest Expense Abstract
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	217	0
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	2,707	7,276
Total interest expense	2,924	7,276
Net interest income	(2,841)	(7,194)
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(2,841)	(7,194)
Fees And Commissions Depositor Accounts	0	0
Other service fees	0	0
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Sale and valuation adjustments of investment securities	0	0
Trading account profit	0	0
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
F D I C Loss Share Income	0	0
Fair value change in equity appreciation instrument	0	0
Noninterest Income Other Operating Income	661	2,562
Total non-interest income	661	2,562
Noninterest Expense Abstract
Labor And Related Expense	0	0
Occupancy Net	0	1
Equipment Expense	0	0
Taxes Other	0	0
Professional fees	1,004	22
Communication	0	0
Marketing And Advertising Expense	0	0
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other Real Estate Owned Expense Net Of Gain Loss On Sale Or Disposition	0	0
Other operating expenses	109	108
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	1,113	131
Income (loss) before income tax	(3,293)	(4,763)
Income tax expense	0	0
Income Loss Before Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries	(3,293)	(4,763)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	37,597	13,946
Net Income	34,304	9,183
Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax	45,871	2,156
PNA Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	0	0
PNA Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Other Subsidiaries
Interest And Dividend Income Operating Abstract
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	401,912	385,049
Money market investments	972	955
Investment securities	34,881	36,507
Trading account securities	5,257	5,514
Total interest income	443,022	428,025
Interest Expense Abstract
Deposits	29,394	38,358
Short-term borrowings	9,372	9,950
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	3,129	6,645
Total interest expense	41,895	54,953
Net interest income	401,127	373,072
Provision for loan losses	73,280	223,896
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	327,847	149,176
Fees And Commissions Depositor Accounts	41,250	43,722
Other service fees	54,110	56,154
Mortgage banking activities	3,681	20,300
Sale and valuation adjustments of investment securities	0	0
Trading account profit	1,956	(1,060)
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	11,776	(62,719)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(10,347)	(16,143)
F D I C Loss Share Income	(24,206)	(26,266)
Fair value change in equity appreciation instrument	0	0
Noninterest Income Other Operating Income	24,329	16,621
Total non-interest income	102,549	30,609
Noninterest Expense Abstract
Labor And Related Expense	104,845	108,610
Occupancy Net	24,759	22,644
Equipment Expense	10,841	10,870
Taxes Other	13,540	11,503
Professional fees	65,809	68,225
Communication	6,807	6,739
Marketing And Advertising Expense	11,271	12,487
FDIC deposit insurance	11,973	9,280
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other Real Estate Owned Expense Net Of Gain Loss On Sale Or Disposition	6,187	46,741
Other operating expenses	37,666	35,089
Amortization of intangibles	2,504	2,468
Total operating expenses	296,202	334,656
Income (loss) before income tax	134,194	(154,871)
Income tax expense	23,847	(57,577)
Income Loss Before Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries	110,347	(97,294)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net Income	110,347	(97,294)
Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax	144,132	(119,034)
Other Subsidiaries | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	47,566	206,340
Other Subsidiaries | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	25,714	17,556
Elimination
Interest And Dividend Income Operating Abstract
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	(541)	(132)
Money market investments	(9)	(39)
Investment securities	0	(2,911)
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest income	(550)	(3,082)
Interest Expense Abstract
Deposits	(2)	(2)
Short-term borrowings	(548)	(168)
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	0	(2,912)
Total interest expense	(550)	(3,082)
Net interest income	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	0	0
Fees And Commissions Depositor Accounts	0	0
Other service fees	(67)	(61)
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Sale and valuation adjustments of investment securities	0	0
Trading account profit	0	0
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
F D I C Loss Share Income	0	0
Fair value change in equity appreciation instrument	0	0
Noninterest Income Other Operating Income	0	1
Total non-interest income	(67)	(60)
Noninterest Expense Abstract
Labor And Related Expense	0	0
Occupancy Net	0	0
Equipment Expense	0	0
Taxes Other	0	0
Professional fees	(67)	(61)
Communication	0	0
Marketing And Advertising Expense	0	0
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other Real Estate Owned Expense Net Of Gain Loss On Sale Or Disposition	0	0
Other operating expenses	(643)	(617)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	(710)	(678)
Income (loss) before income tax	643	618
Income tax expense	251	185
Income Loss Before Equity In Undistributed Earnings Of Subsidiaries	392	433
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(145,043)	87,678
Net Income	(144,651)	88,111
Comprehensive Income Net Of Tax	(190,003)	116,878
Elimination | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Elimination | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Interest Expense Abstract
Provision for loan losses	$ 0	$ 0