Note FDIC loss share (expense) income - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
FDIC
F D I C Loss Share Expense Income [Line Items]
Limited Period For The F D I C Loss Sharing Agreements Covered For Interest Not Collected	approximately 90 days

Limited Period For The FDIC Loss Sharing Agreements Covered For Interest Not Collected From Borrowers

No definition available.

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