Business combination - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012 D units
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity Appreciation Instrument Units	50
Equity Appreciation Instrument Exercise Price	$ 3.43
True Up Payment Term	45
Intrinsic Loss Estimate	4,600,000,000
Percent Calculation Intrinsic Loss Estimate	925,000,000
Calculation Percent Asset Discount Per Bid	$ 1,100,000,000
Servicing Amount Period Trueup Payment	twelve-month period
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage	80.00%
Payment Percentage True Up Payment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment	50.00%
Intrinsic Loss Estimate Trueup Payment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment	20.00%
Asset Discount Trueup Payment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment	25.00%
Cumulative Shared Loss Payments Trueup Payment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment	25.00%
Servicing Percentage Trueup Payment [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed Percentage True Up Payment	1.00%
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage	80.00%

Represents 25% of the asset discount (per bid) in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

No definition available.

Name:	bpop_CalculationPercentAssetDiscountPerBid
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Excercise price used in the calculation of the equity appreciation instrument. Under the terms of the equity appreciation instrument, the FDIC had the opportunity to obtain a cash payment with a value equal to the product of (a) 50 million units and (b) the difference between (i) Popular, Inc's average volume weighted price over the two NASDAQ trading days immediately prior to the exercise date and (ii) the exercise price of $3.43.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_EquityAppreciationInstrumentExercisePrice
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Units used in the calculation of the equity appreciation instrument. Under the terms of the equity appreciation instrument, the FDIC had the opportunity to obtain a cash payment with a value equal to the product of (a) 50 million units and (b) the difference between (i) Popular, Inc's average volume weighted price over the two NASDAQ trading days immediately prior to the exercise date and (ii) the exercise price of $3.43.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_EquityAppreciationInstrumentUnits
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Pre-determined percentages in True-up Payment Obligation Formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_FixedPercentageTrueUpPayment
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Intrinsic loss estimate in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_IntrinsicLossEstimate
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Loss Sharing Agreement Allocation Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_LossSharingAgreementAllocationPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents 20% of intrinsic loss estimate of $4.6 billion in true-up payment obligation formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_PercentCalculationIntrinsicLossEstimate
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Period length used to calculate each servicing amount in true-up payment formula under FDIC loss sharing agreements

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_ServicingAmountPeriodTrueupPayment
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Term to make true-up payment under the FDIC loss sharing agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bpop_TrueUpPaymentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	bpop_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration