Results of Operations (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	$ 374,542	$ 314,595	$ 717,901	$ 583,512
Provision for loan losses	144,317	202,258	219,636	442,458
Non-interest income	124,160	198,827	288,528	356,693
Amortization of intangibles	2,255	2,455	4,510	4,504
Depreciation expense	11,390	15,368	23,450	30,759
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	289	430	8,528	978
Other operating expenses	267,866	310,163	520,361	573,088
Income tax (benefit) expense	(38,100)	27,237	109,127	17,962
Net (loss) income	110,685	(44,489)	120,817	(129,544)
Segment assets	39,013,342	42,347,839	39,013,342	42,347,839	38,722,962
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	325,167	267,665	620,612	486,962
Provision for loan losses	119,324	122,267	186,580	230,639
Non-interest income	113,144	129,283	234,871	217,952
Amortization of intangibles	1,575	1,358	3,150	2,309
Depreciation expense	9,101	9,158	18,733	18,433
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	289	430	528	978
Other operating expenses	205,666	209,181	394,396	374,659
Income tax (benefit) expense	(37,476)	21,466	108,668	20,557
Net (loss) income	139,832	33,088	143,428	57,339
Segment assets	29,790,465	32,183,595	29,790,465	32,183,595
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Consumer and Retail Banking
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	183,694	159,762	357,164	305,428
Provision for loan losses	15,033	44,721	54,394	79,922
Non-interest income	46,507	60,485	101,408	103,338
Amortization of intangibles	1,396	1,044	2,790	1,828
Depreciation expense	4,698	4,775	9,714	9,783
Other operating expenses	130,356	121,218	248,583	226,049
Income tax (benefit) expense	(21,481)	19,069	45,363	30,032
Net (loss) income	100,199	29,420	97,728	61,152
Segment assets	21,109,988	23,431,824	21,109,988	23,431,824
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Other Services
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	2,574	2,387	4,948	4,890
Non-interest income	24,542	28,361	46,065	48,475
Amortization of intangibles	153	142	308	281
Depreciation expense	238	302	475	607
Other operating expenses	14,996	16,600	30,646	30,834
Income tax (benefit) expense	2,778	5,079	5,222	7,890
Net (loss) income	8,951	8,625	14,362	13,753
Segment assets	928,437	622,672	928,437	622,672
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	40	66	81	132
Non-interest income	114	(69)	59	109
Other operating expenses	(43)	(69)	(98)	(141)
Income tax (benefit) expense	77	27	93	156
Net (loss) income	120	39	145	226
Segment assets	(6,849,022)	(8,246,918)	(6,849,022)	(8,246,918)
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Commercial Banking
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	138,859	105,450	258,419	176,512
Provision for loan losses	104,291	77,546	132,186	150,717
Non-interest income	41,981	40,506	87,339	66,030
Amortization of intangibles	26	172	52	200
Depreciation expense	4,165	4,081	8,544	8,043
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	289	430	528	978
Other operating expenses	60,357	71,432	115,265	117,917
Income tax (benefit) expense	(18,850)	(2,709)	57,990	(17,521)
Net (loss) income	30,562	(4,996)	31,193	(17,792)
Segment assets	14,601,062	16,376,017	14,601,062	16,376,017
Banco Popular North America
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	74,601	75,323	149,415	154,177
Provision for loan losses	24,993	79,991	33,056	211,819
Non-interest income	19,127	15,926	36,544	32,485
Amortization of intangibles	680	910	1,360	1,820
Depreciation expense	1,853	2,450	3,844	4,881
Other operating expenses	62,708	64,923	120,935	128,551
Income tax (benefit) expense	934	798	1,872	1,584
Net (loss) income	2,560	(57,823)	24,892	(161,993)
Segment assets	8,895,036	9,857,865	8,895,036	9,857,865
Banco Popular North America | Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income				(56)
Net (loss) income				(56)
Segment assets	(1,134,813)	(1,155,740)	(1,134,813)	(1,155,740)
Banco Popular North America | Popular Community Bank
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	74,201	74,664	148,501	152,040
Provision for loan losses	18,306	66,285	18,911	185,991
Non-interest income	18,354	20,882	35,728	39,067
Amortization of intangibles	680	910	1,360	1,820
Depreciation expense	1,853	2,174	3,844	4,354
Other operating expenses	58,085	63,347	114,040	125,068
Income tax (benefit) expense	934	798	1,872	1,584
Net (loss) income	12,697	(37,968)	44,202	(127,710)
Segment assets	9,578,377	10,518,983	9,578,377	10,518,983
Banco Popular North America | E-LOAN, Inc
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	400	659	914	2,193
Provision for loan losses	6,687	13,706	14,145	25,828
Non-interest income	773	(4,956)	816	(6,582)
Depreciation expense		276		527
Other operating expenses	4,623	1,576	6,895	3,483
Net (loss) income	(10,137)	(19,855)	(19,310)	(34,227)
Segment assets	451,472	494,622	451,472	494,622
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment assets	(53,482)	(29,074)	(53,482)	(29,074)
Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	399,768	342,988	770,027	641,139
Provision for loan losses	144,317	202,258	219,636	442,458
Non-interest income	132,271	145,209	271,415	250,437
Amortization of intangibles	2,255	2,268	4,510	4,129
Depreciation expense	10,954	11,608	22,577	23,314
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	289	430	528	978
Other operating expenses	268,374	274,104	515,331	503,210
Income tax (benefit) expense	(36,542)	22,264	110,540	22,141
Net (loss) income	142,392	(24,735)	168,320	(104,654)
Segment assets	38,632,019	42,012,386	38,632,019	42,012,386
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	(25,441)	(28,556)	(52,648)	(57,952)
Non-interest income	9,781	88,900	52,023	174,563
Amortization of intangibles		187		375
Depreciation expense	436	3,760	873	7,445
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			8,000
Other operating expenses	17,028	69,671	40,121	137,043
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,556)	4,970	(1,714)	(4,399)
Net (loss) income	(31,568)	(18,244)	(47,905)	(23,853)
Segment assets	5,368,602	5,160,641	5,368,602	5,160,641
Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	215	163	522	325
Non-interest income	(17,892)	(35,282)	(34,910)	(68,307)
Other operating expenses	(17,536)	(33,612)	(35,091)	(67,165)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(2)	3	301	220
Net (loss) income	(139)	(1,510)	402	(1,037)
Segment assets	$ (4,987,279)	$ (4,825,188)	$ (4,987,279)	$ (4,825,188)