Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	$ 0	$ 0
Loans	363,136	363,197
Money market investments	6,573	2,863
Investment securities	44,886	36,271
Trading account securities	1,400	1,689
Total interest and dividend income	415,995	404,020
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	33,757	29,874
Short-term borrowings	1,095	1,861
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	19,045	19,873
Total interest expense	53,897	51,608
Net interest income	362,098	352,412
Provision for loan losses	40,698	44,835
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	321,400	307,577
Service charges on deposit accounts	39,536	39,862
Other service fees	56,175	53,382
Mortgage banking activities	11,369	10,551
Net (loss) gain and valuation adjustments on investment securities	162	0
Trading account profit	(278)	(162)
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	(304)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(1,966)	(4,098)
FDIC loss share (expense) income	(8,257)	(3,146)
Other operating income	19,128	15,545
Total non-interest income	115,869	111,630
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	125,607	127,091
Net occupancy expenses	20,776	20,430
Equipment expenses	15,970	14,548
Other taxes	10,969	10,195
Professional Fees	69,250	75,459
Communications	5,949	6,320
Business promotion	11,576	11,110
FDIC deposit insurance	6,493	7,370
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	12,818	9,141
Other operating expenses	29,565	17,165
Amortization of intangibles	2,345	3,114
Goodwill impairment charge	0	0
Total operating expenses	311,318	301,943
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	125,951	117,264
Income tax expense	33,006	32,265
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	92,945	84,999
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations	92,945	84,999
Net Income	92,945	84,999
Comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	93,319	160,135
Elimination
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	(129,000)	(29,700)
Loans	0	0
Money market investments	(501)	(276)
Investment securities	0	0
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest and dividend income	(129,501)	(29,976)
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	(501)	(276)
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	0	0
Total interest expense	(501)	(276)
Net interest income	(129,000)	(29,700)
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(129,000)	(29,700)
Service charges on deposit accounts	0	0
Other service fees	(83)	(57)
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net (loss) gain and valuation adjustments on investment securities	0
Trading account profit	11	0
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss share (expense) income	0	0
Other operating income	(6)	(7)
Total non-interest income	(78)	(64)
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	0	0
Net occupancy expenses	0	0
Equipment expenses	0	0
Other taxes	0	0
Professional Fees	(83)	(57)
Communications	0	0
Business promotion	0	0
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	0	0
Other operating expenses	(546)	(552)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	(629)	(609)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	(128,449)	(29,155)
Income tax expense	211	213
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	(128,660)	(29,368)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	19,827	(73,400)
Net Income	(108,833)	(102,768)
Comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(108,876)	(199,330)
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	42,057	47,940
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC | Elimination
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC Member
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	(1,359)	(3,105)
Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC Member | Elimination
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	129,000	29,700
Loans	15	19
Money market investments	481	255
Investment securities	142	238
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest and dividend income	129,638	30,212
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	13,118	13,117
Total interest expense	13,118	13,117
Net interest income	116,520	17,095
Provision for loan losses	0	(34)
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	116,520	17,129
Service charges on deposit accounts	0	0
Other service fees	0	0
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net (loss) gain and valuation adjustments on investment securities	0
Trading account profit	(120)	24
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss share (expense) income	0	0
Other operating income	4,655	3,256
Total non-interest income	4,535	3,280
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	13,814	15,421
Net occupancy expenses	914	916
Equipment expenses	582	445
Other taxes	46	47
Professional Fees	2,513	2,881
Communications	152	137
Business promotion	419	465
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	0	0
Other operating expenses	(18,790)	(20,428)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	(350)	(116)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	121,405	20,525
Income tax expense	0	3
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	121,405	20,522
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(28,460)	64,477
Net Income	92,945	84,999
Comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	93,319	160,135
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	(34)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC Member
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	0
PNA Holding Co.
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	0	0
Money market investments	21	21
Investment securities	80	80
Trading account securities	0	0
Total interest and dividend income	101	101
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	2,692	2,693
Total interest expense	2,692	2,693
Net interest income	(2,591)	(2,592)
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(2,591)	(2,592)
Service charges on deposit accounts	0	0
Other service fees	0	0
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net (loss) gain and valuation adjustments on investment securities	0
Trading account profit	0	0
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss share (expense) income	0	0
Other operating income	809	(1,303)
Total non-interest income	809	(1,303)
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	0	0
Net occupancy expenses	0	0
Equipment expenses	0	0
Other taxes	0	0
Professional Fees	(525)	30
Communications	0	0
Business promotion	0	0
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	0	0
Other operating expenses	13	39
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total operating expenses	(512)	69
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	(1,270)	(3,964)
Income tax expense	(445)	(1,387)
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	(825)	(2,577)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	8,633	8,923
Net Income	7,808	6,346
Comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	7,827	27,295
PNA Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	0
PNA Holding Co. | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC Member
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	0
All other subsidiaries and eliminations
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	363,121	363,178
Money market investments	6,572	2,863
Investment securities	44,664	35,953
Trading account securities	1,400	1,689
Total interest and dividend income	415,757	403,683
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	34,258	30,150
Short-term borrowings	1,095	1,861
Interest Expense Long Term Debt	3,235	4,063
Total interest expense	38,588	36,074
Net interest income	377,169	367,609
Provision for loan losses	40,698	44,869
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	336,471	322,740
Service charges on deposit accounts	39,536	39,862
Other service fees	56,258	53,439
Mortgage banking activities	11,369	10,551
Net (loss) gain and valuation adjustments on investment securities	162
Trading account profit	(169)	(186)
Net gain on sale of loans, including valuation adjustments on loans held-for-sale	0	(304)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(1,966)	(4,098)
FDIC loss share (expense) income	(8,257)	(3,146)
Other operating income	13,670	13,599
Total non-interest income	110,603	109,717
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	111,793	111,670
Net occupancy expenses	19,862	19,514
Equipment expenses	15,388	14,103
Other taxes	10,923	10,148
Professional Fees	67,345	72,605
Communications	5,797	6,183
Business promotion	11,157	10,645
FDIC deposit insurance	6,493	7,370
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	12,818	9,141
Other operating expenses	48,888	38,106
Amortization of intangibles	2,345	3,114
Total operating expenses	312,809	302,599
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	134,265	129,858
Income tax expense	33,240	33,436
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	101,025	96,422
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net Income	101,025	96,422
Comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	101,049	172,035
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	42,057	47,974
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements With FDIC Member
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	$ (1,359)	$ (3,105)