Results of Operations (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	$ 337,582	$ 343,359
Provision for loan losses	100,723	75,319
Noninterest Income	123,908	164,368
Amortization of intangibles	2,593	2,255
Depreciation expense	11,756	12,060
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	69	8,239
Other operating expenses	281,749	252,495
Income tax expense	16,192	147,227
Net income	48,408	10,132
Assets	37,049,221	38,829,793	37,348,432
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	290,107	295,445
Provision for loan losses	85,857	67,256
Noninterest Income	113,734	121,727
Amortization of intangibles	1,913	1,575
Depreciation expense	9,387	9,632
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	69	239
Other operating expenses	222,357	188,730
Income tax expense	17,353	146,144
Net income	66,905	3,596
Assets	28,026,771	29,452,947
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Commercial Banking [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	100,196	119,560
Provision for loan losses	13,698	27,895
Noninterest Income	21,092	45,358
Amortization of intangibles	9	26
Depreciation expense	4,168	4,379
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	69	239
Other operating expenses	61,181	54,908
Income tax expense	9,762	76,840
Net income	32,401	631
Assets	13,853,077	15,607,809
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Consumer And Retail Banking [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	186,258	173,470
Provision for loan losses	72,159	39,361
Noninterest Income	66,004	54,901
Amortization of intangibles	1,708	1,394
Depreciation expense	4,979	5,016
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	143,847	118,227
Income tax expense	4,301	66,844
Net income	25,268	(2,471)
Assets	19,985,139	21,285,084
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Other Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	3,649	2,374
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Noninterest Income	26,664	21,523
Amortization of intangibles	196	155
Depreciation expense	240	237
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	17,355	15,650
Income tax expense	3,288	2,444
Net income	9,234	5,411
Assets	568,375	459,462
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Consolidation Eliminations Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	4	41
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Noninterest Income	(26)	(55)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	(26)	(55)
Income tax expense	2	16
Net income	2	25
Assets	(6,379,820)	(7,899,408)
Banco Popular North America [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	74,075	74,814
Provision for loan losses	14,726	8,063
Noninterest Income	15,456	17,417
Amortization of intangibles	680	680
Depreciation expense	2,029	1,991
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	61,882	58,227
Income tax expense	936	938
Net income	9,278	22,332
Assets	8,664,824	8,975,972
Banco Popular North America [Member] | Consolidation Eliminations Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Noninterest Income	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0
Other operating expenses	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income	0	0
Assets	(1,135,798)	(1,143,951)
Banco Popular North America [Member] | Popular Community Bank [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	73,607	74,300
Provision for loan losses	9,396	605
Noninterest Income	15,292	17,374
Amortization of intangibles	680	680
Depreciation expense	2,029	1,991
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0
Other operating expenses	61,023	55,955
Income tax expense	936	938
Net income	14,835	31,505
Assets	9,387,896	9,645,089
Banco Popular North America [Member] | E Loan Inc [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	468	514
Provision for loan losses	5,330	7,458
Noninterest Income	164	43
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0
Other operating expenses	859	2,272
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income	(5,557)	(9,173)
Assets	412,726	474,834
Business Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Noninterest Income	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0
Net income	0	0
Assets	(12,300)	(26,335)
Reportable Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	364,182	370,259
Provision for loan losses	100,583	75,319
Noninterest Income	129,190	139,144
Amortization of intangibles	2,593	2,255
Depreciation expense	11,416	11,623
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	69	239
Other operating expenses	284,239	246,957
Income tax expense	18,289	147,082
Net income	76,183	25,928
Assets	36,679,295	38,402,584
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	(26,816)	(27,207)
Provision for loan losses	140	0
Noninterest Income	11,506	42,242
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	340	437
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	8,000
Other operating expenses	14,826	23,093
Income tax expense	(2,296)	(158)
Net income	(28,320)	(16,337)
Assets	5,342,418	5,459,100
Consolidation Eliminations Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest income	216	307
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Noninterest Income	(16,788)	(17,018)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	0
Other operating expenses	(17,316)	(17,555)
Income tax expense	199	303
Net income	545	541
Assets	$ (4,972,492)	$ (5,031,891)