Loans - Loans HIP in past due status, non-performing status and accruing loans past-due 90 days or more by loan class (Parenthetical) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Unearned Income	$ 180,983	$ 155,824
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	59,203	51,422
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	27,406,873	26,507,889
Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Pledged Financial Instruments, Not Separately Reported, Loans Receivable Pledged as Collateral	6,700,000	6,900,000
Loans-held-in portfolio served as collateral to secure credit facilities authorized with the FHLB	4,600,000	4,800,000
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	27,406,873	26,507,889
FRB Discount Window \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans served as collateral to secure debt obligations	2,100,000	2,100,000
PUERTO RICO
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	20,180,232	19,883,472
PUERTO RICO \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	20,180,232	19,883,472
Popular U.S.
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	7,226,641	6,624,417
Popular U.S. \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	7,226,641	6,624,417
ASC Subtopic 310-30 \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	153,000	216,000
ASC Subtopic 310-30 \| PUERTO RICO \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	134,000	143,000
ASC Subtopic 310-30 \| Popular U.S. \| Non Covered Loans [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable
Loans held-in-portfolio, net of unearned income	$ 19,000	$ 73,000

Reflects principally the unearned financing income associated with finance lease receivables

No definition available.

Name:	bpop_UnearnedIncome
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
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_AccountsNotesAndLoansReceivableLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount before allowance and after deduction of deferred interest and fees, unamortized costs and premiums and discounts from face amounts, of loans and leases held in portfolio, including but not limited to, commercial and consumer loans. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118952595&loc=d3e4428-111522

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=d3e5074-111524

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount, after allowance for bad debt, of loan receivables held-for-sale that are not part of a disposal group. Excludes loans and leases covered under loss sharing agreements and loans classified as debt securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118952595&loc=d3e4428-111522

+ Details

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

- Definition

The sum of the carrying amounts, as of the date of the latest financial statement presented, of loans receivable which are owned but transferred to serve as collateral for the payment of related debt obligations, primarily secured borrowings and repurchase agreements, and for which the transferees are not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (b)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109249958&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying amount, as of the date of the latest financial statement presented, of loans receivable which are owned but transferred to serve as collateral for the payment of FHLB debt obligations, and for which the transferee is not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

The carrying amount, as of the date of the latest financial statement presented, of loans receivable which are owned but transferred to serve as collateral for the payment of other debt obligations, and for which the transferee is not permitted to sell or re-pledge them to an unrelated party.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	bpop_BankingAgenciesAxis=bpop_NonCoveredLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_FederalReserveBankAdvancesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_PR
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_AdjustmentsForNewAccountingPronouncementsAxis=bpop_SCSubtopic31030Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: