Recalibration and updates of the enviromental factors adjustments.

No definition available.

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

- 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

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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82895541&loc=d3e18845-111554

+ 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://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82895541&loc=d3e18794-111554

+ Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LoansInsuredOrGuaranteedByGovernmentAuthoritiesAxis=bpop_GuaranteedByUsSponsoredEntitiesMember
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_FinancingReceivablePortfolioSegmentAxis=us-gaap_LoansReceivableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
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Allowance for loan losses - Allowance for loan losses - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018
PB
Financing Receivable
Change Allowance For Loan Losses Recalibration And Updates Of The Enviromental Factors Adjustments	$ 4,600
Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 1,582,368		$ 1,515,889
Non Covered Loans \| Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Financing Receivable
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	24.00%	80.00%
Non Covered Loans \| PB
Financing Receivable
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	13.00%	6.00%
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 1,128,755		1,042,470
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans \| Guaranteed by us sponsored entities
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	614,000		543,000
Commercial \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	350,722		360,679
Loan \| Commercial
Financing Receivable
Outstanding commitments to lend additional funds to debtors owing receivables whose terms have been modified in troubled debt restructurings	$ 16,000		$ 16,000