Results of Operations (Detail) - Entity [Domain] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Provision for loan losses	$ 76,234	$ 61,678	$ 116,269	$ 134,749
Amortization of intangibles			4,985	5,007
Depreciation expense			23,949	23,832
Net Income	597,452	(511,314)	672,278	(424,905)
Assets	36,750,113		36,750,113		$ 33,096,695
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	362,553	(59,381)	705,748	291,790
Provision for loan losses	76,234	61,678	116,269	141,514
Non interest Income	140,759	62,789	255,994	158,821
Amortization of intangibles	2,881	2,025	4,985	4,051
Depreciation expense	12,030	11,655	23,949	23,031
Noninterest Expense Other	348,263	261,759	646,581	525,956
Income tax expense	(533,533)	(4,124)	(500,964)	19,140
Income (loss) from continuing operations	597,437	(329,585)	670,922	(263,081)
Net Income	597,437	(329,585)	670,922	(263,081)
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	125	0	125	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0
Noninterest Expense Other	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	125	0	125	0
Assets	(589,902)		(589,902)
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Total Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	378,017	382,767	736,729	762,068
Provision for loan losses	76,007	61,646	116,042	141,690
Non interest Income	131,530	56,692	241,226	135,383
Amortization of intangibles	2,881	2,025	4,985	4,051
Depreciation expense	11,849	11,487	23,574	22,706
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	328,359	249,216	610,420	497,047
Income tax expense	(526,521)	(7,112)	(488,135)	23,677
Net Income	616,972	122,197	711,069	208,280
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Corporate Non Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	(15,464)	(442,148)	(30,981)	(470,278)
Provision for loan losses	227	32	227	(176)
Non interest Income	10,483	7,348	16,125	24,756
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	181	168	375	325
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	20,604	13,226	37,592	30,302
Income tax expense	(6,796)	3,209	(12,858)	(4,567)
Net Income	(19,197)	(451,435)	(40,192)	(471,406)
Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(1,254)	(1,251)	(1,357)	(1,318)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	(700)	(683)	(1,431)	(1,393)
Income tax expense	(216)	(221)	29	30
Net Income	(338)	(347)	45	45
Commercial Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	36,750,113		36,750,113
Commercial Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Total Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	36,538,162		36,538,162
Commercial Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Corporate Non Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	4,909,006		4,909,006
Commercial Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	(4,697,055)		(4,697,055)
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	316,085	334,079	622,696	661,949
Provision for loan losses	76,068	86,432	118,305	166,269
Non interest Income	125,735	38,505	229,265	106,594
Amortization of intangibles	2,563	1,822	4,562	3,646
Depreciation expense	10,103	9,824	20,211	19,322
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0
Noninterest Expense Other	279,887	211,206	507,463	421,045
Income tax expense	17,312	(7,958)	54,761	21,985
Income (loss) from continuing operations	55,887	71,258	146,659	136,276
Assets	29,669,355		29,669,355
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Commercial Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	119,205	139,906	237,680	276,366
Provision for loan losses	66,792	76,879	63,236	108,068
Non interest Income	35,992	(14,141)	63,142	(6,457)
Amortization of intangibles	(23)	1	6	2
Depreciation expense	4,703	4,124	9,023	8,023
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	101,717	58,326	167,573	114,765
Income tax expense	(13,395)	(16,090)	12,658	1,918
Income (loss) from continuing operations	(4,597)	2,525	48,326	37,133
Assets	10,038,389	10,547,131	10,038,389	10,547,131
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Consumer And Retail Banking [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	194,737	192,019	380,989	380,696
Provision for loan losses	9,276	9,553	55,069	58,201
Non interest Income	66,436	28,415	122,440	66,394
Amortization of intangibles	1,912	1,709	3,684	3,418
Depreciation expense	5,104	5,418	10,616	10,730
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	160,871	136,619	305,939	274,220
Income tax expense	27,530	4,774	37,308	13,602
Income (loss) from continuing operations	56,480	62,361	90,813	86,919
Assets	19,853,299	18,538,311	19,853,299	18,538,311
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Other Services [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	2,143	2,154	4,023	4,887
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	23,407	24,249	43,878	46,693
Amortization of intangibles	674	112	872	226
Depreciation expense	296	282	572	569
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	17,399	16,279	34,146	32,096
Income tax expense	3,177	3,358	4,795	6,465
Income (loss) from continuing operations	4,004	6,372	7,516	12,224
Assets	744,519	819,396	744,519	819,396
Banco Popular De Puerto Rico [Member] | Elimination Corporate [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	4	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	(100)	(18)	(195)	(36)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	(100)	(18)	(195)	(36)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	0	0	4	0
Assets	(966,852)	(2,257,979)	(966,852)	(2,257,979)
Banco Popular North America [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	61,932	48,688	114,033	100,119
Provision for loan losses	(61)	(24,786)	(2,263)	(24,579)
Non interest Income	5,670	18,187	11,836	28,789
Amortization of intangibles	318	203	423	405
Depreciation expense	1,746	1,663	3,363	3,384
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	48,472	38,010	102,957	76,002
Income tax expense	(543,833)	846	(542,896)	1,692
Income (loss) from continuing operations	560,960	50,939	564,285	72,004
Assets	7,458,709		7,458,709
Banco Popular North America [Member] | Elimination Corporate [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Provision for loan losses	0	0	0	0
Non interest Income	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	0	0	0	0
Assets	(946,647)		(946,647)
Banco Popular North America [Member] | Popular Community Bank [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	61,277	47,966	112,718	98,712
Provision for loan losses	1,156	(21,759)	(499)	(21,767)
Non interest Income	5,711	16,772	11,523	27,265
Amortization of intangibles	318	203	423	405
Depreciation expense	1,746	1,663	3,363	3,384
Noninterest Expense Other	47,682	37,339	101,595	74,797
Income tax expense	(341,394)	846	(340,457)	1,692
Income (loss) from continuing operations	357,480	46,446	359,816	67,466
Assets	7,975,328		7,975,328
Banco Popular North America [Member] | E Loan Inc [Member] | Segment, Continuing Operations [Member] | Operating Segments Member
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	655	722	1,315	1,407
Provision for loan losses	(1,217)	(3,027)	(1,764)	(2,812)
Non interest Income	(41)	1,415	313	1,524
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Noninterest Expense Other	790	671	1,362	1,205
Income tax expense	(202,439)	0	(202,439)	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	203,480	$ 4,493	204,469	$ 4,538
Assets	$ 430,028		$ 430,028