Allowance for loan losses - Allowance for loan losses - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) loans	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) loans
Financing Receivable
Loan count \| loans	582	527
Note A / B Split
Financing Receivable
Aggregated unpaid principal balance	$ 9,100,000
Loans restructuring charge offs	$ 0
Loan count \| loans	4
PB
Financing Receivable
Change Allowance For Loan Losses Recalibration And Updates Of The Enviromental Factors Adjustments	$ 4,600,000
Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	1,587,684,000	$ 1,515,889,000
Aggregated unpaid principal balance	$ 1,223,205,000	$ 1,245,816,000
Non Covered Loans \| Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Financing Receivable
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	25.00%	26.00%
Non Covered Loans \| PB
Financing Receivable
Recent Loss Trend Adjustment Percentage	21.00%	28.00%
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	$ 1,139,597,000	$ 1,042,470,000
Aggregated unpaid principal balance	624,368,000	605,120,000
Mortgages \| Non Covered Loans \| Guaranteed by us sponsored entities
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	625,000,000	543,000,000
Commercial \| Non Covered Loans
Financing Receivable
Troubled debt restructurings	349,448,000	360,679,000
Loan \| Commercial
Financing Receivable
Outstanding commitments to lend additional funds to debtors owing receivables whose terms have been modified in troubled debt restructurings	$ 14,000,000	$ 16,000,000

Recalibration and updates of the enviromental factors adjustments.

No definition available.

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- 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

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- Definition

Amount of loans and leases that have been written off from both loan receivables and allowance reserve for credit loss.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11B
-Subparagraph (c)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=SL6953423-111524

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.7(d))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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- 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.

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- Definition

Amount of financing receivable modified as troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 33
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=SL6953676-111524

Reference 2: 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=118939409&loc=d3e18845-111554

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- Definition

Number of financing receivable contracts modified as troubled debt restructuring within previous 12 months, with subsequent payment default.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 34
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=SL6953682-111524

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- Definition

Amount of unpaid principal balance of impaired financing receivables with related allowance for credit losses and without related allowance for credit losses.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118936363&loc=d3e5212-111524

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- Definition

Amount of unfunded portion of contractual agreement to lend funds to borrower for financing receivable modified as troubled debt restructuring.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 310
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118939409&loc=d3e18794-111554

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