Allowance for loan losses at period end on loans modified into multiple notes through a loan split.

No definition available.

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

- Definition

Charge-offs included in recoded investment at loan splitting of loans restructured into multiple notes durign the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Historical loss period used to compute the base net loss rate in the determination for the general reserves of the allowance for loan losses.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Loan count that were restructured into multiple notes (Note A/B Split).

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_LoanNoteAbSplit
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Recent loss trend adjustment replaces the base loss rate, when these trends are higher than the respective base loss rates, up to a determined cap. The objective of this adjustment is to include information about recent increases in loss rates in a timely and prudent manner.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Percentage of the ALLL for our loan portfolios that utilized the recent loss trend adjustment instead of the base loss.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Recoded investment at loan splitting of loans restructured into multiple notes durign the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_RecordedInvestmentLoanSplit
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Recoded investment at period end of loans restructured into multiple notes durign the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_RecordedInvestmentPeriodEnd
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

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

- Definition

The amount of the outstanding recorded investment related to financing receivables that have been modified by troubled debt restructurings.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25495931&loc=d3e18845-111554

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Recorded Investment
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65880944

+ Details

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

- Definition

Reflects the unfunded portion of contractual agreements to lend funds to borrowers for loans whose terms have been modified by troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25495931&loc=d3e18794-111554

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	bpop_BankingAgenciesAxis=bpop_NonCoveredLoansMember
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:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=us-gaap_CommercialPortfolioSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsNotesLoansAndFinancingReceivableByReceivableTypeAxis=bpop_CommercialConstructionPortfoliosMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
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- Details

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

- Details

Name:	bpop_GuaranteedByUsSponsoredEntitiesAxis=bpop_GuaranteedByUsSponsoredEntitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_LoansReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Note Allowance for loan losses (Allowance for loan losses - Additional Information) (Detail) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) loans	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment	12-months
Loan Note Ab Split \| loans	2
Recorded Investment Loan Split	$ 766
Charge Offs Included Recorded Investment Loan Split	239
Recorded Investment Period End	527
Allowance Loans Modified Loan Split	$ 96
Banco Popular North America
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	2.00%	1.00%
Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 1,253,973		$ 1,246,577
Non Covered Loans \| Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	39.00%	51.00%
Commercial \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 236,573		260,044
Mortgage and consumer
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Historical Loss Period	18-months
Commercial and construction
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Historical Loss Period	5-year
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 905,362		871,997
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans \| Guaranteed By US Sponsored Entities
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Troubled debt restructurings	430,000		407,000
Loan \| Commercial
Financing Receivable, Modifications [Line Items]
Outstanding commitments to lend additional funds to debtors owing receivables whose terms have been modified in troubled debt restructurings	$ 9,000		$ 8,000