Note Segment reporting (Results of Operations) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses	$ (40,472)	$ (76,234)	$ (85,307)	$ (116,269)
Amortization of intangibles			6,211	4,985
Depreciation expense			23,141	23,949
Assets	37,606,148		37,606,148		$ 35,761,733
Continuing Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	360,551	362,553	712,963	705,748
Provision for loan losses	40,472	76,234	85,307	116,269
Non interest Income	110,503	140,759	222,133	255,994
Amortization of intangibles	3,097	2,881	6,211	4,985
Depreciation expense	11,435	12,030	23,141	23,949
Noninterest Expense Other	294,617	348,263	581,740	646,581
Income tax expense	32,446	(533,533)	64,711	(500,964)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	88,987	597,437	173,986	670,922
Assets	37,606,148	36,750,113	37,606,148	36,750,113
Continuing Operations | Intersegment Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	0	125	0	125
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				0
Noninterest Expense Other	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	0	125	0	125
Assets	(15,239)	(589,902)	(15,239)	(589,902)
Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	375,866	378,017	743,473	736,729
Provision for loan losses	40,440	76,007	85,310	116,042
Non interest Income	103,491	131,530	207,008	241,226
Amortization of intangibles	3,097	2,881	6,211	4,985
Depreciation expense	11,259	11,849	22,788	23,574
Noninterest Expense Other	279,102	328,359	545,101	610,420
Income tax expense	42,398	(526,521)	82,732	(488,135)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	103,061	616,972	208,339	711,069
Assets	37,398,939	36,538,162	37,398,939	36,538,162
Continuing Operations | Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	(15,202)	(15,464)	(30,397)	(30,981)
Provision for loan losses	32	227	(3)	227
Non interest Income	8,062	10,483	16,239	16,125
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	176	181	353	375
Noninterest Expense Other	16,717	20,604	38,449	37,592
Income tax expense	(9,979)	(6,796)	(18,260)	(12,858)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	(14,086)	(19,197)	(34,697)	(40,192)
Assets	4,953,432	4,909,006	4,953,432	4,909,006
Continuing Operations | Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	(113)	0	(113)	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(1,050)	(1,254)	(1,114)	(1,357)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	(1,202)	(700)	(1,810)	(1,431)
Income tax expense	27	(216)	239	29
Income (loss) from continuing operations	12	(338)	344	45
Assets	(4,746,223)	(4,697,055)	(4,746,223)	(4,697,055)
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	310,361	316,085	615,711	622,696
Provision for loan losses	39,123	76,068	79,924	118,305
Non interest Income	98,241	125,735	196,808	229,265
Amortization of intangibles	2,931	2,563	5,879	4,562
Depreciation expense	9,915	10,103	20,111	20,211
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				0
Noninterest Expense Other	234,704	279,887	459,373	507,463
Income tax expense	31,295	17,312	63,172	54,761
Income (loss) from continuing operations	90,634	55,887	184,060	146,659
Assets	29,190,397	29,669,355	29,190,397	29,669,355
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Commercial Banking | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	122,430	119,205	237,333	237,680
Provision for loan losses	(1,669)	66,792	13,240	63,236
Non interest Income	17,598	35,992	39,330	63,142
Amortization of intangibles	49	(23)	71	6
Depreciation expense	4,245	4,703	8,520	9,023
Noninterest Expense Other	63,919	101,717	121,151	167,573
Income tax expense	23,228	(13,395)	41,397	12,658
Income (loss) from continuing operations	50,256	(4,597)	92,284	48,326
Assets	12,894,262	10,038,389	12,894,262	10,038,389
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Consumer and Retail Banking | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	185,216	194,737	372,411	380,989
Provision for loan losses	40,792	9,276	66,684	55,069
Non interest Income	55,606	66,436	111,214	122,440
Amortization of intangibles	1,810	1,912	3,646	3,684
Depreciation expense	5,447	5,104	11,138	10,616
Noninterest Expense Other	154,036	160,871	304,248	305,939
Income tax expense	5,137	27,530	17,516	37,308
Income (loss) from continuing operations	33,600	56,480	80,393	90,813
Assets	17,664,592	19,853,299	17,664,592	19,853,299
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Other Financial Services | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	1,680	2,143	3,295	4,023
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	25,128	23,407	46,439	43,878
Amortization of intangibles	1,072	674	2,162	872
Depreciation expense	223	296	453	572
Noninterest Expense Other	16,840	17,399	34,149	34,146
Income tax expense	2,930	3,177	4,259	4,795
Income (loss) from continuing operations	5,743	4,004	8,711	7,516
Assets	474,482	744,519	474,482	744,519
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Eliminations | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	1,035	0	2,672	4
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(91)	(100)	(175)	(195)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	(91)	(100)	(175)	(195)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	1,035	0	2,672	4
Assets	(1,842,939)	(966,852)	(1,842,939)	(966,852)
Banco Popular North America | Continuing Operations | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	65,505	61,932	127,762	114,033
Provision for loan losses	1,317	(61)	5,386	(2,263)
Non interest Income	5,250	5,670	10,200	11,836
Amortization of intangibles	166	318	332	423
Depreciation expense	1,344	1,746	2,677	3,363
Loss on early extinguishment of debt				0
Noninterest Expense Other	44,398	48,472	85,728	102,957
Income tax expense	11,103	(543,833)	19,560	(542,896)
Income (loss) from continuing operations	12,427	560,960	24,279	564,285
Assets	$ 8,223,781	$ 7,458,709	$ 8,223,781	$ 7,458,709