Condensed Consolidating Statement of Condition (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	$ 502,060,000		$ 394,035,000
Money market investments	5,168,585,000		4,171,048,000
Trading account debt securities, at fair value	36,303,000		37,787,000
Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value	16,479,110,000		13,300,184,000
Debt securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	97,707,000		101,575,000
Equity securities	160,458,000		155,584,000
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	56,370,000		51,422,000
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	27,181,241,000		26,663,713,000
Less - Unearned income	173,266,000		155,824,000
Allowance for loan losses	512,365,000	$ 543,666,000	569,348,000	$ 633,718,000	$ 643,018,000	$ 623,426,000
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	26,495,610,000		25,938,541,000
Premises and equipment, net	547,063,000		569,808,000
Other real estate	117,928,000		136,705,000
Accrued income receivable	164,778,000		166,022,000
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	150,652,000		169,777,000	162,779,000		168,031,000
Other assets	1,811,190,000		1,714,134,000
Goodwill	671,122,000		671,122,000	687,536,000		627,294,000
Other intangible assets	21,479,000		26,833,000
Total assets	52,480,415,000		47,604,577,000	47,919,428,000
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	8,771,970,000		9,149,036,000
Interest bearing	35,394,225,000		30,561,003,000
Total deposits	44,166,195,000		39,710,039,000
Assets sold under agreements to repurchase	213,097,000		281,529,000
Other short-term borrowings	0		42,000
Notes payable	1,166,670,000		1,256,102,000
Other liabilities	1,026,005,000		921,808,000
Total liabilities	46,571,967,000		42,169,520,000
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	50,160,000		50,160,000
Common stock	1,044,000		1,043,000
Surplus	4,317,556,000		4,365,606,000
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	2,071,198,000		1,651,731,000
Treasury stock, at cost	(392,630,000)		(205,509,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(138,880,000)		(427,974,000)	(534,189,000)
Total stockholders' equity	5,908,448,000	$ 5,719,834,000	5,435,057,000	$ 5,244,349,000	$ 5,289,661,000	$ 5,103,905,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	52,480,415,000		47,604,577,000
Elimination
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	(114,895,000)		(68,022,000)
Money market investments	(153,657,000)		(191,288,000)
Trading account debt securities, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	0		0
Equity securities	(182,000)		(141,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	(7,945,578,000)		(7,404,201,000)
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0		0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	5,955,000		5,955,000
Less - Unearned income	0		0
Allowance for loan losses	0		0
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	5,955,000		5,955,000
Premises and equipment, net	0		0
Other real estate	0		0
Accrued income receivable	(112,000)		(145,000)
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	0		0
Other assets	(18,647,000)		(15,697,000)
Goodwill	(1,000)		(1,000)
Other intangible assets	0		0
Total assets	(8,227,117,000)		(7,673,540,000)
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	(114,895,000)		(68,022,000)
Interest bearing	(153,657,000)		(191,288,000)
Total deposits	(268,552,000)		(259,310,000)
Assets sold under agreements to repurchase	0		0
Other short-term borrowings			0
Notes payable	0		0
Other liabilities	(19,190,000)		(16,011,000)
Total liabilities	(287,742,000)		(275,321,000)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0		0
Common stock	(56,309,000)		(56,309,000)
Surplus	(9,946,560,000)		(9,954,780,000)
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	1,934,338,000		2,143,263,000
Treasury stock, at cost	(109,000)		(88,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	129,265,000		469,695,000
Total stockholders' equity	(7,939,375,000)		(7,398,219,000)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(8,227,117,000)		(7,673,540,000)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	114,897,000		68,022,000
Money market investments	141,513,000		176,256,000
Trading account debt securities, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	8,726,000		8,726,000
Equity securities	9,918,000		6,693,000
Investment in subsidiaries	6,150,826,000		5,704,119,000
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0		0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	32,163,000		32,678,000
Less - Unearned income	0		0
Allowance for loan losses	412,000		155,000
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	31,751,000		32,523,000
Premises and equipment, net	3,583,000		3,394,000
Other real estate	146,000		146,000
Accrued income receivable	277,000		284,000
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	0		0
Other assets	91,858,000		76,073,000
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangible assets	6,488,000		6,559,000
Total assets	6,559,983,000		6,082,795,000
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	0		0
Interest bearing	0		0
Total deposits	0		0
Assets sold under agreements to repurchase	0		0
Other short-term borrowings			0
Notes payable	585,802,000		584,851,000
Other liabilities	65,802,000		62,799,000
Total liabilities	651,604,000		647,650,000
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	50,160,000		50,160,000
Common stock	1,044,000		1,043,000
Surplus	4,308,851,000		4,357,079,000
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	2,079,725,000		1,660,258,000
Treasury stock, at cost	(392,521,000)		(205,421,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(138,880,000)		(427,974,000)
Total stockholders' equity	5,908,379,000		5,435,145,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	6,559,983,000		6,082,795,000
PNA Holding Co.
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	0		0
Money market investments	12,657,000		15,288,000
Trading account debt securities, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value	0		0
Debt securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	2,835,000		2,835,000
Equity securities	20,000		20,000
Investment in subsidiaries	1,794,752,000		1,700,082,000
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0		0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	0		0
Less - Unearned income	0		0
Allowance for loan losses	0		0
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	0		0
Premises and equipment, net	0		0
Other real estate	0		0
Accrued income receivable	17,000		116,000
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	0		0
Other assets	24,432,000		27,639,000
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangible assets	0		0
Total assets	1,834,713,000		1,745,980,000
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	0		0
Interest bearing	0		0
Total deposits	0		0
Assets sold under agreements to repurchase	0		0
Other short-term borrowings			0
Notes payable	94,084,000		94,063,000
Other liabilities	1,651,000		3,287,000
Total liabilities	95,735,000		97,350,000
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0		0
Common stock	2,000		2,000
Surplus	4,173,120,000		4,172,983,000
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	(2,437,754,000)		(2,479,503,000)
Treasury stock, at cost	0		0
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	3,610,000		(44,852,000)
Total stockholders' equity	1,738,978,000		1,648,630,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,834,713,000		1,745,980,000
All other subsidiaries and eliminations
Assets:
Cash and due from banks	502,058,000		394,035,000
Money market investments	5,168,072,000		4,170,792,000
Trading account debt securities, at fair value	36,303,000		37,787,000
Debt securities available-for-sale, at fair value	16,479,110,000		13,300,184,000
Debt securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	86,146,000		90,014,000
Equity securities	150,702,000		149,012,000
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	56,370,000		51,422,000
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	27,143,123,000		26,625,080,000
Less - Unearned income	173,266,000		155,824,000
Allowance for loan losses	511,953,000		569,193,000
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	26,457,904,000		25,900,063,000
Premises and equipment, net	543,480,000		566,414,000
Other real estate	117,782,000		136,559,000
Accrued income receivable	164,596,000		165,767,000
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	150,652,000		169,777,000
Other assets	1,713,547,000		1,626,119,000
Goodwill	671,123,000		671,123,000
Other intangible assets	14,991,000		20,274,000
Total assets	52,312,836,000		47,449,342,000
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	8,886,865,000		9,217,058,000
Interest bearing	35,547,882,000		30,752,291,000
Total deposits	44,434,747,000		39,969,349,000
Assets sold under agreements to repurchase	213,097,000		281,529,000
Other short-term borrowings			42,000
Notes payable	486,784,000		577,188,000
Other liabilities	977,742,000		871,733,000
Total liabilities	46,112,370,000		41,699,841,000
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	0		0
Common stock	56,307,000		56,307,000
Surplus	5,782,145,000		5,790,324,000
Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	494,889,000		327,713,000
Treasury stock, at cost	0		0
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(132,875,000)		(424,843,000)
Total stockholders' equity	6,200,466,000		5,749,501,000
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 52,312,836,000		$ 47,449,342,000