Employee benefits - Information Popular Inc. shares of common stock held by the plans (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Assets at Fair Value, Valuation Techniques and Inputs [Abstract]
Shares of Popular, Inc. common stock	156,444	152,804
Fair value of shares of Popular, Inc. common stock	$ 9,191	$ 7,215
Dividends paid on shares of Popular, Inc. common stock held by the plan	$ 177	$ 151

Dividends received on related party securities in employer benefit plan

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of employer security in which defined benefit plan asset is invested. Includes, but is not limited to, security issued or managed by related party of employer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (n)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 17
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118257860&loc=d3e4179-114921

+ Details

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- Definition

Number of shares of employer stock in which defined benefit plan asset is invested. Includes, but is not limited to, stock issued or managed by related party of employer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (n)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

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