Condensed Consolidating Statement of Condition (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Assets
Cash and due from banks	$ 587,965		$ 452,373	$ 744,769		$ 677,330
Money market investments	1,383,892		979,295	2,444,209
Trading account securities, at fair value	785,842		546,713	401,543
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value	5,389,491		5,236,852	6,481,187
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	129,910		122,354	209,416
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	174,560		163,513	152,562
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	509,046		893,938	101,251
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less - Unearned income	103,652		106,241	109,911
Allowance for loan losses	746,847		793,225	1,277,016
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	24,527,422		24,771,692	26,243,554
FDIC loss share asset	2,350,176		2,318,183	2,330,406
Premises and equipment, net	537,870		545,453	573,941
Accrued income receivable	141,980		150,658	151,245
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	162,619	166,907	166,907	171,994	169,747
Other assets	1,393,843		1,449,887	1,389,304
Goodwill	647,318		647,387	691,190		604,349
Other intangible assets	54,186		58,696	63,720
Total assets	39,013,342		38,722,962	42,347,839
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	5,364,004		4,939,321	4,793,338
Interest bearing	22,596,425		21,822,879	22,320,235
Total deposits	27,960,429		26,762,200	27,113,573
Federal funds purchased and assets sold under agreements to repurchase	2,570,322		2,412,550	2,307,194
Other short-term borrowings	151,302		364,222	1,263
Notes Payable	3,423,286		4,170,183	8,238,277
Other liabilities	943,935		1,213,276	1,072,745
Total liabilities	35,049,274		34,922,431	38,733,052
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	50,160		50,160	50,160
Common stock	10,242		10,229	10,229
Surplus	4,097,909		4,094,005	4,094,429
Accumulated deficit	(228,372)		(347,328)	(613,963)
Treasury stock - at cost, 223,532 shares at June 30, 2011 (December 31, 2010 - 201,356 shares; June 30, 2010 - 182,431 shares)	(642)		(574)	(518)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	34,771		(5,961)	74,450
Total stockholders' equity	3,964,068		3,800,531	3,614,787		2,538,817
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	39,013,342		38,722,962	42,347,839
Non Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC | Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	291,393		476,082	366,632
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
Assets
Cash and due from banks	4,781		1,638	825		1,174
Money market investments	64		1	51
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value	37,362		35,263
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	197,362		210,872	395,797
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	10,850		10,850	10,850
Investment in subsidiaries	4,020,454		3,836,258	3,820,737
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Allowance for loan losses	8		60	60
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	291,385		476,022	366,572
Premises and equipment, net	2,741		2,830	3,166
Accrued income receivable	1,258		1,510	131
Other assets	225,728		246,209	44,262
Other intangible assets	554		554	554
Total assets	4,792,539		4,822,007	4,642,945
Deposits:
Other short-term borrowings				1,500
Notes Payable	747,817		835,793	999,698
Other liabilities	80,654		185,683	26,960
Total liabilities	828,471		1,021,476	1,028,158
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock	50,160		50,160	50,160
Common stock	10,242		10,229	10,229
Surplus	4,089,382		4,085,478	4,085,901
Accumulated deficit	(219,845)		(338,801)	(605,435)
Treasury stock - at cost, 223,532 shares at June 30, 2011 (December 31, 2010 - 201,356 shares; June 30, 2010 - 182,431 shares)	(642)		(574)	(518)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	34,771		(5,961)	74,450
Total stockholders' equity	3,964,068		3,800,531	3,614,787
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	4,792,539		4,822,007	4,642,945
Non Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC | PIBI Holding Co.
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio			1,285
PIBI Holding Co.
Assets
Cash and due from banks	1,426		618	295		300
Money market investments	12,778		7,512	5,903
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value	3,660		3,863	3,373
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	1,000		1,000	1,000
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	1		1	1
Investment in subsidiaries	1,152,668		1,096,907	812,321
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net			1,285
Accrued income receivable	8		33	5
Other assets	71,395		86,116	77,812
Total assets	1,242,936		1,197,335	900,710
Deposits:
Other liabilities	5,346		3,921	1,838
Total liabilities	5,346		3,921	1,838
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	4,066		4,066	3,961
Surplus	4,092,743		4,158,157	3,666,984
Accumulated deficit	(2,874,741)		(2,958,347)	(2,764,377)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	15,522		(10,462)	(7,696)
Total stockholders' equity	1,237,590		1,193,414	898,872
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,242,936		1,197,335	900,710
PNA Holding Co.
Assets
Cash and due from banks	273		1,576	735		738
Money market investments	262		261	299
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	4,492		4,492	4,492
Investment in subsidiaries	1,614,772		1,578,986	1,269,857
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Premises and equipment, net	120		122	123
Accrued income receivable	112		111	111
Other assets	15,290		15,105	17,984
Total assets	1,635,321		1,600,653	1,293,601
Deposits:
Other short-term borrowings	13,400		32,500	20,000
Notes Payable	427,243		430,121	429,983
Other liabilities	42,803		47,169	43,955
Total liabilities	483,446		509,790	493,938
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	2		2	2
Surplus	4,103,208		4,066,208	3,566,208
Accumulated deficit	(2,994,502)		(3,000,682)	(2,797,501)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	43,167		25,335	30,954
Total stockholders' equity	1,151,875		1,090,863	799,663
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	1,635,321		1,600,653	1,293,601
Non Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC | All other subsidiaries and eliminations
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	20,730,222		20,798,876	22,568,799
Other real estate	162,419		161,496	142,372
Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC | All other subsidiaries and eliminations
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	4,616,575		4,836,882	5,055,750
Other real estate	74,803		57,565	55,176
All other subsidiaries and eliminations
Assets
Cash and due from banks	588,171		451,723	744,990		677,606
Money market investments	1,383,750		979,232	2,444,104
Trading account securities, at fair value	785,842		546,713	401,543
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value	5,366,431		5,216,013	6,479,276
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	116,548		95,482	182,619
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	159,217		148,170	137,219
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	509,046		893,938	101,251
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less - Unearned income	103,652		106,241	109,911
Allowance for loan losses	746,839		793,165	1,276,956
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	24,496,306		24,736,352	26,237,682
FDIC loss share asset	2,350,176		2,318,183	2,330,406
Premises and equipment, net	535,009		542,501	570,652
Accrued income receivable	140,633		149,101	151,039
Mortgage servicing assets, at fair value	162,619		166,907	171,994
Other assets	1,100,723		1,127,870	1,287,668
Goodwill	647,318		647,387	691,190
Other intangible assets	53,632		58,142	63,166
Total assets	38,632,643		38,296,775	42,192,347
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	5,386,528		4,961,417	4,795,414
Interest bearing	22,609,540		21,830,669	22,326,383
Total deposits	27,996,068		26,792,086	27,121,797
Federal funds purchased and assets sold under agreements to repurchase	2,570,322		2,412,550	2,307,194
Other short-term borrowings	372,102		743,922	340,463
Notes Payable	2,248,226		2,905,554	6,808,596
Subordinated notes	185,000		185,000	370,000
Other liabilities	861,724		1,028,614	1,040,194
Total liabilities	34,233,442		34,067,726	37,988,244
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	51,564		51,633	53,351
Surplus	5,857,287		5,862,091	5,485,877
Accumulated deficit	(1,570,058)		(1,714,659)	(1,445,380)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	60,408		29,984	110,255
Total stockholders' equity	4,399,201		4,229,049	4,204,103
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	38,632,643		38,296,775	42,192,347
Non Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC | Elimination
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	(260,269)		(441,967)	(360,700)
Elimination
Assets
Cash and due from banks	(6,686)		(3,182)	(2,076)		(2,488)
Money market investments	(12,962)		(7,711)	(6,148)
Investment securities available-for-sale, at fair value	(17,962)		(18,287)	(1,462)
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	(185,000)		(185,000)	(370,000)
Investment in subsidiaries	(6,787,894)		(6,512,151)	(5,902,915)
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	(260,269)		(441,967)	(360,700)
Accrued income receivable	(31)		(97)	(41)
Other assets	(19,293)		(25,413)	(38,422)
Total assets	(7,290,097)		(7,193,808)	(6,681,764)
Deposits:
Non-interest bearing	(22,524)		(22,096)	(2,076)
Interest bearing	(13,115)		(7,790)	(6,148)
Total deposits	(35,639)		(29,886)	(8,224)
Other short-term borrowings	(234,200)		(412,200)	(360,700)
Notes Payable			(1,285)
Subordinated notes	(185,000)		(185,000)	(370,000)
Other liabilities	(46,592)		(52,111)	(40,202)
Total liabilities	(501,431)		(680,482)	(779,126)
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock	(55,632)		(55,701)	(57,314)
Surplus	(14,044,711)		(14,077,929)	(12,710,541)
Accumulated deficit	7,430,774		7,665,161	6,998,730
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(119,097)		(44,857)	(133,513)
Total stockholders' equity	(6,788,666)		(6,513,326)	(5,902,638)
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	(7,290,097)		(7,193,808)	(6,681,764)
Non Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	20,761,346		20,834,276	22,574,731
Other real estate	162,419		161,496	142,372
Covered under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	4,616,575		4,836,882	5,055,750
Other real estate	$ 74,803		$ 57,565	$ 55,176