Condensed Consolidating Statement of Condition (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Assets
Cash And Due From Banks	$ 515,338	$ 535,282	$ 587,965	$ 452,373
Money market investments	949,828	1,376,174
Trading Securities	417,469	436,331
Available For Sale Securities	5,076,797	5,009,823
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	124,646	125,383
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	174,287	179,880
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	364,537	363,093
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less- Unearned Income	97,801	100,596
Allowance for loan losses	766,030	815,308
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	23,916,109	24,135,991
FDIC loss share asset	1,631,594	1,915,128	2,445,256	2,410,219
Premises and equipment, net	527,027	538,486
Interest Receivable	122,320	125,209
Servicing Asset At Fair Value Amount	155,711	151,323	162,619	166,907
Other Assets	1,577,794	1,462,393
Goodwill	647,757	648,350	647,318	647,387
Intangible Assets Net Excluding Goodwill	59,243	63,954
Total assets	36,612,179	37,348,432
Deposits Abstract
Noninterest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	5,578,487	5,655,474
Interest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	21,836,293	22,286,653
Total deposits	27,414,780	27,942,127
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	1,426,636	2,141,097
Other short-term borrowings	316,200	296,200
Notes Payable	1,877,583	1,856,372
Other liabilities	1,555,743	1,193,883
Liabilities	32,590,942	33,429,679
Stockholders Equity Abstract
Preferred stock	50,160	50,160
Common stock	1,028	1,026
Surplus	4,127,216	4,123,898
Accumulated deficit	(100,440)	(212,726)
Treasury stock	(144)	(1,057)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(56,583)	(42,548)
Total stockholders' equity	4,021,237	3,918,753	3,964,068	3,800,531
Liabilities And Stockholders Equity	36,612,179	37,348,432
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	20,763,610	20,703,192
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	226,629	172,497
Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	4,016,330	4,348,703
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	125,093	109,135
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
Assets
Cash And Due From Banks	9,269	6,365	4,782	1,638
Money market investments	18,321	42,239
Trading Securities	0	0
Available For Sale Securities	40,251	35,700
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	185,000	185,000
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	10,850	10,850
Investment in subsidiaries	4,146,742	3,987,287
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0	0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less- Unearned Income	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	357	8
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	324,111	249,607
FDIC loss share asset	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	2,558	2,533
Interest Receivable	1,190	1,512
Servicing Asset At Fair Value Amount	0	0
Other Assets	104,263	217,877
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets Net Excluding Goodwill	553	554
Total assets	4,843,108	4,739,524
Deposits Abstract
Noninterest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	0	0
Interest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	0	0
Total deposits	0	0
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	0	0
Other short-term borrowings	0	0
Notes Payable	774,974	760,849
Subordinated Debt	0	0
Other liabilities	46,897	59,922
Liabilities	821,871	820,771
Stockholders Equity Abstract
Preferred stock	50,160	50,160
Common stock	1,028	1,026
Surplus	4,118,689	4,115,371
Accumulated deficit	(91,913)	(204,199)
Treasury stock	(144)	(1,057)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(56,583)	(42,548)
Total stockholders' equity	4,021,237	3,918,753
Liabilities And Stockholders Equity	4,843,108	4,739,524
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	324,468	249,615
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	0	0
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	0	0
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	0	0
PNA Holding Co.
Assets
Cash And Due From Banks	628	932	272	1,576
Money market investments	4,892	552
Trading Securities	0	0
Available For Sale Securities	0	0
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	0	0
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	4,492	4,492
Investment in subsidiaries	1,638,655	1,627,313
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0	0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less- Unearned Income	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	0	0
FDIC loss share asset	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	117	118
Interest Receivable	112	113
Servicing Asset At Fair Value Amount	0	0
Other Assets	13,869	13,222
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets Net Excluding Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	1,662,765	1,646,742
Deposits Abstract
Noninterest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	0	0
Interest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	0	0
Total deposits	0	0
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	0	0
Other short-term borrowings	0	30,500
Notes Payable	427,353	427,297
Subordinated Debt	0	0
Other liabilities	42,210	42,269
Liabilities	469,563	500,066
Stockholders Equity Abstract
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	2	2
Surplus	4,153,208	4,103,208
Accumulated deficit	(3,015,083)	(3,013,481)
Treasury stock	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	55,075	56,947
Total stockholders' equity	1,193,202	1,146,676
Liabilities And Stockholders Equity	1,662,765	1,646,742
PNA Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	0	0
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	0	0
PNA Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	0	0
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	0	0
Other Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash And Due From Banks	515,541	534,796	588,171	451,723
Money market investments	931,507	1,357,996
Trading Securities	417,469	436,331
Available For Sale Securities	5,053,684	4,991,760
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	124,646	125,383
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	158,945	164,538
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	364,537	363,093
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less- Unearned Income	97,801	100,596
Allowance for loan losses	765,673	815,300
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	23,886,596	24,106,359
FDIC loss share asset	1,631,594	1,915,128
Premises and equipment, net	524,352	535,835
Interest Receivable	121,112	123,859
Servicing Asset At Fair Value Amount	155,711	151,323
Other Assets	1,473,264	1,261,324
Goodwill	647,757	648,350
Intangible Assets Net Excluding Goodwill	58,690	63,400
Total assets	36,417,127	37,061,107
Deposits Abstract
Noninterest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	5,588,700	5,688,643
Interest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	21,851,788	22,287,448
Total deposits	27,440,488	27,976,091
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	1,426,636	2,165,157
Other short-term borrowings	584,900	459,600
Notes Payable	675,256	668,226
Subordinated Debt	185,000	185,000
Other liabilities	1,512,537	1,138,702
Liabilities	31,824,817	32,592,776
Stockholders Equity Abstract
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	55,628	55,627
Surplus	8,799,459	5,859,773
Accumulated deficit	(4,204,640)	(1,403,925)
Treasury stock	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(58,137)	(43,144)
Total stockholders' equity	4,592,310	4,468,331
Liabilities And Stockholders Equity	36,417,127	37,061,107
Other Subsidiaries [Member] | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	20,733,740	20,673,552
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	226,629	172,497
Other Subsidiaries [Member] | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	4,016,330	4,348,703
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	125,093	109,135
Elimination
Assets
Cash And Due From Banks	(10,100)	(6,811)	(5,260)	(2,564)
Money market investments	(4,892)	(24,613)
Trading Securities	0	0
Available For Sale Securities	(17,138)	(17,637)
Investment securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost	(185,000)	(185,000)
Other investment securities, at lower of cost or realizable value	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(5,785,397)	(5,614,600)
Loans held-for-sale, at lower of cost or fair value	0	0
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Less- Unearned Income	0	0
Allowance for loan losses	0	0
Total loans held-in-portfolio, net	(294,598)	(219,975)
FDIC loss share asset	0	0
Premises and equipment, net	0	0
Interest Receivable	(94)	(275)
Servicing Asset At Fair Value Amount	0	0
Other Assets	(13,602)	(30,030)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets Net Excluding Goodwill	0	0
Total assets	(6,310,821)	(6,098,941)
Deposits Abstract
Noninterest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	(10,213)	(33,169)
Interest Bearing Deposit Liabilities	(15,495)	(795)
Total deposits	(25,708)	(33,964)
Securities Sold under Agreements to Repurchase	0	(24,060)
Other short-term borrowings	(268,700)	(193,900)
Notes Payable	0	0
Subordinated Debt	(185,000)	(185,000)
Other liabilities	(45,901)	(47,010)
Liabilities	(525,309)	(483,934)
Stockholders Equity Abstract
Preferred stock	0	0
Common stock	(55,630)	(55,629)
Surplus	(12,944,140)	(9,954,454)
Accumulated deficit	7,211,196	4,408,879
Treasury stock	0	0
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	3,062	(13,803)
Total stockholders' equity	(5,785,512)	(5,615,007)
Liabilities And Stockholders Equity	(6,310,821)	(6,098,941)
Elimination | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	(294,598)	(219,975)
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	0	0
Elimination | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With F D I C [Member]
Loans held-in-portfolio:
Loans held-in-portfolio	0	0
Real Estate Acquired Through Foreclosure	$ 0	$ 0