Note Loans (Loans in non-performing status and accruing loans past-due 90 days or more by loan class) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Construction
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	$ 4,293
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0
PUERTO RICO | Construction
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	4,293
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0
Popular U.S. | Construction
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0
Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	606,796	[1]	$ 550,957	[2]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	1,129,792		1,225,149
Non Covered Loans | Commercial multi-family
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	1,396		1,899
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | CRE non-owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	18,570		20,465
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | CRE owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	101,182		101,930
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Commercial and industrial
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	37,131		40,771
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	78		685
Non Covered Loans | Mortgages
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	369,614	[3],[4]	321,549	[5],[6]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	1,117,460	[3],[4]	1,204,691	[5],[6]
Non Covered Loans | Leasing
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	3,957		2,974
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Legacy
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	3,137		3,039
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Consumer | Credit cards
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	7		11
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	11,004		18,227
Non Covered Loans | Consumer | Home equity lines of credit
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	14,731		14,997
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	329		257
Non Covered Loans | Consumer | Personal
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	24,456		22,239
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	91		141
Non Covered Loans | Consumer | Auto
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	13,356		5,466
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Consumer | Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	14,966		15,617
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	830		1,148
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	573,516	[1]	511,440	[2]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	1,129,792		1,225,149
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Commercial multi-family
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	1,396		1,115
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | CRE non-owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	18,205		18,866
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | CRE owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	100,777		101,068
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Commercial and industrial
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	36,754		40,177
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	78		685
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Mortgages
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	357,967	[3],[4]	306,697	[5],[6]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	1,117,460	[3],[4]	1,204,691	[5],[6]
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Leasing
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	3,957		2,974
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Legacy
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Consumer | Credit cards
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	11,004		18,227
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Consumer | Home equity lines of credit
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	329		257
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Consumer | Personal
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	21,852		19,460
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	91		141
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Consumer | Auto
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	13,356		5,466
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | PUERTO RICO | Consumer | Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	14,959		15,617
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	830		1,148
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S.
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	33,280	[1]	39,517	[2]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Commercial multi-family
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		784
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | CRE non-owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	365		1,599
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | CRE owner occupied
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	405		862
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Commercial and industrial
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	377		594
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Mortgages
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	11,647	[3],[4]	14,852	[5],[6]
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0	[3],[4]	0	[5],[6]
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Leasing
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Legacy
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	3,137		3,039
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Consumer | Credit cards
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	7		11
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Consumer | Home equity lines of credit
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	14,731		14,997
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Consumer | Personal
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	2,604		2,779
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Consumer | Auto
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	0		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	0		0
Non Covered Loans | Popular U.S. | Consumer | Other
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Past Due [Line Items]
Non-accrual loans	7		0
Accruing loans past-due 90 days or more	$ 0		$ 0

[1] For purposes of this table non-performing loans exclude non-performing loans held-for-sale.

[2] For purposes of this table non-performing loans exclude non-performing loans held-for-sale.

[3] It is the Corporation’s policy to report delinquent residential mortgage loans insured by FHA or guaranteed by the VA as accru ing loans past due 90 days or more as opposed to non-performing since the principal repayment is insured. These balances include $ 194 million of residential mortgage loans in Puerto Rico insured by FHA or guaranteed by the VA that are no longer acc ruing interest as of March 31, 2018 . These balances also include approximately $535 million of loans rebooked due to a repurchase option with GNMA. Under the GNMA program, issuers such as BPPR have the option but not the obligation to repurchase loans that are 90 days or more past due. For accounting purposes, these loans subject to the repurchase option are required to be reflected on the financial statements of BPPR with an offsetting liability. T he Co rporation has approximately $ 57 million in reverse mortgage loans in Puerto Rico which are guaranteed by FHA, but which are currently not accruing interest. Due to the guaranteed nature of the loans, it is the Corporation’s policy to exclude these balances from non-performing assets .

[4] Non-covered loans of $ 209 million accounted for under ASC Subtopic 310-30 are excluded from the above table as they are considered to be performing due to the application of the accretion method, in which these loans will accrete interest income over the remaining life of the loans using estimated cash flow analysis.

[5] It is the Corporation’s policy to report delinquent residential mortgage loa ns insured by FHA or guaranteed by the VA as accruing loans past due 90 days or more as opposed to non-performing since the principal repayment is insured. These balances include $ 178 million of residential mortgage loans in Puerto Rico insured by FHA or g uaranteed by the VA that are no longer accruing interest as of December 31, 2017 . These balances also include approximately $840 million of loans rebooked due to a repurchase option with GNMA. Under the GNMA program, issuers such as BPPR have the option but not the o bligation to repurchase loans that are 90 days or more past due. For accounting purposes, these loans subject to the repurchase option are required to be reflected on the financial statements of BPPR with an offsetting liability. The Corporation has approx imately $58 million in reverse mortgage loans in Puerto Rico which are guaranteed by FHA, but which are currently not accruing interest. Due to the guaranteed nature of the loans, it is the Corporation’s policy to exclude these balances from non-performing assets .

[6] Non-covered loans of $ 215 million accounted for under ASC Subtopic 310-30 are excluded from the above table as they are considered to be performing due to the application of the accretion method, in which these loans will accrete interest income over the remaining life of the loans using estimated cash flow analysis.