Segment reporting - Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	$ 487,802	$ 450,881	$ 966,914	$ 923,976
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(17,015)	62,449	(99,241)	252,180
Non interest Income	154,540	112,055	308,193	238,698
Amortization of intangibles	1,255	1,796	2,306	4,269
Depreciation expense	13,670	14,415	28,408	28,901
Other operating expenses	353,260	332,020	712,999	687,669
Income tax expense (benefit)	73,093	24,628	149,924	27,725
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	218,079	127,628	480,711	161,930
Segment assets	72,657,293	62,845,352	72,657,293	62,845,352	$ 65,926,000
Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	497,944	460,872	987,438	943,190
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(17,186)	62,470	(99,267)	252,043
Non interest Income	141,182	102,080	281,918	219,314
Amortization of intangibles	1,027	1,771	2,054	4,220
Depreciation expense	13,405	14,179	27,876	28,419
Other operating expenses	356,060	334,274	716,038	689,708
Income tax expense (benefit)	73,777	25,372	150,625	28,522
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	212,043	124,886	472,030	159,592
Segment assets	72,277,939	62,526,601	72,277,939	62,526,601
Intersegment Elimination
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	1	4	3	7
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(137)	(136)	(275)	(276)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses	(136)	(135)	(272)	(272)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	0	3	0	3
Segment assets	(23,954)	(35,439)	(23,954)	(35,439)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	(10,142)	(9,991)	(20,524)	(19,214)
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	171	(21)	26	137
Non interest Income	15,274	11,954	28,424	21,415
Amortization of intangibles	228	25	252	49
Depreciation expense	265	236	532	482
Other operating expenses	(1,852)	(1,345)	(1,182)	(308)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(313)	(330)	(646)	(652)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	6,633	3,398	8,918	2,493
Segment assets	5,407,659	5,219,408	5,407,659	5,219,408
Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(1,916)	(1,979)	(2,149)	(2,031)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses	(948)	(909)	(1,857)	(1,731)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(371)	(414)	(55)	(145)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(597)	(656)	(237)	(155)
Segment assets	(5,028,305)	(4,900,657)	(5,028,305)	(4,900,657)
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	419,200	387,164	829,523	796,790
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(22,042)	59,789	(67,403)	173,371
Non interest Income	136,052	95,803	271,260	207,945
Amortization of intangibles	860	1,605	1,721	3,887
Depreciation expense	11,808	12,074	23,951	24,361
Other operating expenses	307,663	283,533	614,583	583,910
Income tax expense (benefit)	63,614	18,105	122,427	33,206
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	193,349	107,861	405,504	186,000
Segment assets	62,104,522	51,967,412	62,104,522	51,967,412
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment | Commercial Banking
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	180,840	159,725	360,351	321,259
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(17,751)	8,870	(45,357)	19,183
Non interest Income	28,832	25,255	54,573	49,967
Amortization of intangibles	53	50	107	98
Depreciation expense	5,231	5,077	10,520	10,227
Other operating expenses	90,132	73,451	176,960	148,326
Income tax expense (benefit)	44,341	24,324	86,449	49,940
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	87,666	73,208	186,245	143,452
Segment assets	61,313,631	44,866,934	61,313,631	44,866,934
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment | Consumer and Retail Banking
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	237,155	223,634	466,541	466,690
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(4,291)	50,919	(22,046)	154,188
Non interest Income	81,294	47,266	167,491	111,250
Amortization of intangibles	694	902	1,388	2,212
Depreciation expense	6,413	6,836	13,098	13,814
Other operating expenses	193,716	189,631	393,032	391,673
Income tax expense (benefit)	18,113	(8,235)	33,695	(21,187)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	103,804	30,847	214,865	37,240
Segment assets	30,633,318	27,443,801	30,633,318	27,443,801
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment | Other Financial Services
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	1,205	3,805	2,631	8,841
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	26,329	23,525	49,987	47,265
Amortization of intangibles	113	653	226	1,577
Depreciation expense	164	161	333	320
Other operating expenses	24,238	20,705	45,506	44,474
Income tax expense (benefit)	1,160	2,016	2,283	4,453
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	1,859	3,795	4,270	5,282
Segment assets	2,313,470	2,524,764	2,313,470	2,524,764
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment | Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(403)	(243)	(791)	(537)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Other operating expenses	(423)	(254)	(915)	(563)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	20	11	124	26
Segment assets	(32,155,897)	(22,868,087)	(32,155,897)	(22,868,087)
PB | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information
Net Interest income (expense)	78,743	73,704	157,912	146,393
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	4,856	2,681	(31,864)	78,672
Non interest Income	5,267	6,413	10,933	11,645
Amortization of intangibles	167	166	333	333
Depreciation expense	1,597	2,105	3,925	4,058
Other operating expenses	48,533	50,876	101,727	106,070
Income tax expense (benefit)	10,163	7,267	28,198	(4,684)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	18,694	17,022	66,526	(26,411)
Segment assets	$ 10,197,371	$ 10,594,628	$ 10,197,371	$ 10,594,628