Represents 25% of the asset discount (per bid) in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

No definition available.

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Pre-determined percentages in True-up Payment Obligation Formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_FixedPercentageTrueUpPayment
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Intrinsic loss estimate in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_IntrinsicLossEstimate
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_LossSharingAgreementAllocationPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Loss sharing term (in years).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents 20% of intrinsic loss estimate of $4.6 billion in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Recoveries on covered assets

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_RecoveriesOnCoveredAssets
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Period length used to calculate each servicing amount in true-up payment formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_ServicingAmountPeriodTrueupPayment
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term to make true-up payment under the FDIC loss sharing agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_TrueUpPaymentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Weighted average life of loan portfolios subject to the FDIC loss Sharing agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_WeightedAverageLifeOfLoanSubjectToFDICAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
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

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Carrying amount of receivable assets originating from the indemnification agreement with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), in which the FDIC is to partially cover losses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66048111&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_PercentagesTrueUpPaymentAxis=bpop_IntrinsicLossEstimateTrueupPaymentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_PercentagesTrueUpPaymentAxis=bpop_AssetDiscountTrueupPaymentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_PercentagesTrueUpPaymentAxis=bpop_CumulativeSharedLossPaymentsTrueupPaymentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_PercentagesTrueUpPaymentAxis=bpop_ServicingPercentageTrueupPaymentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=bpop_BancoPopularDePuertoRicoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	bpop_DisputeWithFDICAxis=bpop_PendingDisputeWithFDICMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=bpop_FederalDepositInsuranceCorporationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_ResidentialMortgageMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Period Type:

Note FDIC loss share asset (FDIC loss share - Additional Information) (Detail) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) D	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) D	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
True Up Payment Term \| D	45		45
Calculation Percent Asset Discount Per Bid	$ 1,100,000		$ 1,100,000
Intrinsic Loss Estimate	4,600,000		$ 4,600,000
Servicing Amount Period Trueup Payment			twelve-month period
F D I C Indemnification Asset	$ 214,029		$ 214,029		$ 310,221
Fair Value Inputs Discount Rate	7.05%		7.64%
Recoveries On Covered Assets	$ 4,093	$ 0	$ 4,093	$ 0
Payment Percentage True-up Payment
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment			50.00%
Intrinsic Loss Estimate True-up Payment
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Percent Calculation Intrinsic Loss Estimate	925,000		$ 925,000
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment			20.00%
Asset Discount True-up Payment
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment			25.00%
Cumulative Shared Loss Payments True-up Payment
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment			25.00%
Servicing Percentage True-up Payment
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment			1.00%
Single Family Loan
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life Of Loan Subject To F D I C Agreement			7 years 10 months
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage			80.00%
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico \| Pending Dispute With FDIC
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
F D I C Indemnification Asset	$ 142,000		$ 142,000
FDIC
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage			80.00%
FDIC \| Residential Mortgage
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration [Line Items]
Loss Sharing Term	10		10