No definition available.

Name:	bpop_PurchaseOfLoans
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Transfers of Financial Assets Accounted for as Sale, Initial Fair Value of Asset Obtained as Proceeds

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_TransfersOfFinancialAssetsAccountedForAsSaleInitialFairValueOfAssetObtainedAsProceeds
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

The undiscounted sum of all amounts, including amounts deemed principal, interest, fees, penalties, and other under the loan, owed to the investor at the reporting date, whether or not currently due and whether or not any such amounts have been written or charged off by the investor. This relates to loans not accounted for as debt securities, with evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination that were 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.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 15
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27045933&loc=d3e13503-111538

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6379141&loc=d3e15032-111544

+ Details

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

- Definition

The balance of financing receivables that were acquired with deteriorated credit quality.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (h)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35738203&loc=SL6953423-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying amount of mortgage loans on real estate that were sold during the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04.(c) Schedule IV)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27047687&loc=d3e5864-122674

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 310
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29.6)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6589523&loc=d3e617274-123014

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 29
-Article 12

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Paragraph c
-Subparagraph Schedule IV
-Article 5

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByAssetClassAxis=us-gaap_TradingAccountAssetsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_GovernmentNationalMortgageAssociationCertificatesAndObligationsGNMAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InvestmentTypeAxis=us-gaap_FederalNationalMortgageAssociationCertificatesAndObligationsFNMAMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_ConsumerPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_MortgageReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialLoanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=bpop_WesternbankPuertoRicoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=bpop_SCSubtopic31020Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_CertainLoansAcquiredInTransferNotAccountedForAsDebtSecuritiesAxis=bpop_AcquiredLoansInFDICAssistedTransactionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_BankingAgenciesAxis=bpop_CoveredUnderLossSharingAgreementsWithFDICMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=bpop_SCSubtopic31030Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=bpop_SopOtherLoansAcquiredMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Note Loans - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Transfers Of Financial Assets Accounted For As Sale Initial Fair Value Of Assets Obtained As Proceeds	$ 172,118	$ 205,976
Trading account securities
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Transfers Of Financial Assets Accounted For As Sale Initial Fair Value Of Assets Obtained As Proceeds	170,248	203,414
Trading account securities \| GNMA
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Transfers Of Financial Assets Accounted For As Sale Initial Fair Value Of Assets Obtained As Proceeds	134,012	156,456
Trading account securities \| FNMA
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Transfers Of Financial Assets Accounted For As Sale Initial Fair Value Of Assets Obtained As Proceeds	36,236	46,958
Residential Mortgage
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Residential Mortgage Loans Sold	21,000	39,000
Consumer
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Purchase of Loans	106,000
Mortgages
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Purchase of Loans	122,000	$ 169,000
Commercial Loans
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Purchase of Loans	51,000
Westernbank Puerto Rico \| ASC Subtopic 310-20 \| Acquired loans in an FDIC assisted transaction
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Financing Receivable Acquired With Deteriorated Credit Quality	10,000		$ 10,000
Westernbank Puerto Rico \| Covered loans \| A S C Subtopic 31030 [Member] \| Acquired loans in an FDIC assisted transaction
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Outstanding principal balance of SOP loans	2,400,000		2,400,000
SOP Other Loans Acquired \| A S C Subtopic 31030 [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Outstanding principal balance of SOP loans	$ 713,000		$ 710,000