Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	$ 0	$ 0
Loans	447,713	373,584
Money market investments	29,220	22,285
Investment securities	81,036	57,209
Total interest and dividend income	557,969	453,078
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	70,826	38,688
Short-term borrowings	1,600	2,013
Long-term debt	14,580	19,330
Total interest expense	87,006	60,031
Net interest income	470,963	393,047
Provision for loan losses	41,825	71,063
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	429,138	321,984
Mortgage banking activities	9,926	12,068
Net gain (loss), including impairment on equity securities	1,433	(646)
Net profit (loss) on trading account debt securities	260	(198)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(93)	(2,926)
FDIC loss-share expense	0	(8,027)
Other operating income	21,906	16,169
Total non-interest income	136,430	113,497
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	143,117	125,852
Net occupancy expenses	23,537	22,802
Equipment expenses	19,705	17,206
Other taxes	11,662	10,902
Professional fees	87,466	82,985
Communications	5,849	5,906
Business promotion	14,674	12,009
FDIC deposit insurance	4,806	6,920
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	2,677	6,131
Other operating expenses	31,615	28,964
Amortization of intangibles	2,312	2,325
Total opearating expense	347,420	322,002
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	218,148	113,479
Income tax expense	50,223	22,155
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	167,925	91,324
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net Income	167,925	91,324
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	271,920	(20,862)
Service charges on deposit accounts
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	38,691	36,455
Other services
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	64,307	60,602
Elimination
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	(202,300)	(25,000)
Loans	0	(6)
Money market investments	(1,173)	(843)
Investment securities	0	0
Total interest and dividend income	(203,473)	(25,849)
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	(1,173)	(843)
Short-term borrowings	0	(6)
Long-term debt	0	0
Total interest expense	(1,173)	(849)
Net interest income	(202,300)	(25,000)
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(202,300)	(25,000)
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net gain (loss), including impairment on equity securities	(13)	(20)
Net profit (loss) on trading account debt securities	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss-share expense		0
Other operating income	(11)	(14)
Total non-interest income	(124)	(279)
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	0	0
Net occupancy expenses	(45)	0
Equipment expenses	0	0
Other taxes	0	0
Professional fees	(100)	(245)
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	(571)	(606)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total opearating expense	(716)	(851)
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	(201,708)	(24,428)
Income tax expense	218	231
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	(201,926)	(24,659)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	17,735	(92,496)
Net Income	(184,191)	(117,155)
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	(306,872)	17,879
Elimination | Service charges on deposit accounts
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	0	0
Elimination | Other services
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	(100)	(245)
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	41,825	69,333
Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC | Elimination
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		0
Covered loans
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses	0	1,730
Covered loans | Elimination
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		0
Popular, Inc. Holding Co.
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	202,300	25,000
Loans	588	525
Money market investments	1,122	842
Investment securities	154	147
Total interest and dividend income	204,164	26,514
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Long-term debt	9,632	13,118
Total interest expense	9,632	13,118
Net interest income	194,532	13,396
Provision for loan losses	106	(21)
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	194,426	13,417
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net gain (loss), including impairment on equity securities	587	(42)
Net profit (loss) on trading account debt securities	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss-share expense		0
Other operating income	5,169	3,745
Total non-interest income	5,757	3,703
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	18,327	14,911
Net occupancy expenses	1,047	990
Equipment expenses	672	508
Other taxes	62	41
Professional fees	2,689	3,644
Communications	114	112
Business promotion	782	398
FDIC deposit insurance	0	0
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	0	0
Other operating expenses	(21,339)	(18,164)
Amortization of intangibles	24	0
Total opearating expense	2,378	2,440
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	197,805	14,680
Income tax expense	0	0
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	197,805	14,680
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	(29,880)	76,644
Net Income	167,925	91,324
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	271,920	(20,862)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Service charges on deposit accounts
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	0	0
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Other services
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	1	0
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		(21)
Popular, Inc. Holding Co. | Covered loans
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		0
PNA Holding Co.
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	0	0
Money market investments	51	1
Investment securities	46	81
Total interest and dividend income	97	82
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	0	0
Short-term borrowings	0	6
Long-term debt	1,557	2,692
Total interest expense	1,557	2,698
Net interest income	(1,460)	(2,616)
Provision for loan losses	0	0
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	(1,460)	(2,616)
Mortgage banking activities	0	0
Net gain (loss), including impairment on equity securities	0	0
Net profit (loss) on trading account debt securities	0	0
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	0	0
FDIC loss-share expense		0
Other operating income	(1,267)	751
Total non-interest income	(1,267)	751
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	0	0
Net occupancy expenses	0	0
Equipment expenses	1	1
Other taxes	0	1
Professional fees	27	31
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	14
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Total opearating expense	41	47
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	(2,768)	(1,912)
Income tax expense	(581)	543
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	(2,187)	(2,455)
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	12,145	15,852
Net Income	9,958	13,397
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	28,018	(8,785)
PNA Holding Co. | Service charges on deposit accounts
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	0	0
PNA Holding Co. | Other services
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	0	0
PNA Holding Co. | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		0
PNA Holding Co. | Covered loans
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		0
All other subsidiaries and eliminations
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME:
Dividend income from subsidiaries	0	0
Loans	447,125	373,065
Money market investments	29,220	22,285
Investment securities	80,836	56,981
Total interest and dividend income	557,181	452,331
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Deposits	71,999	39,531
Short-term borrowings	1,600	2,013
Long-term debt	3,391	3,520
Total interest expense	76,990	45,064
Net interest income	480,191	407,267
Provision for loan losses	41,719	71,084
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	438,472	336,183
Mortgage banking activities	9,926	12,068
Net gain (loss), including impairment on equity securities	859	(584)
Net profit (loss) on trading account debt securities	260	(198)
Adjustments To Indemnity Reserves On Loans Sold	(93)	(2,926)
FDIC loss-share expense		(8,027)
Other operating income	18,015	11,687
Total non-interest income	132,064	109,322
Operating expenses:
Personnel costs	124,790	110,941
Net occupancy expenses	22,535	21,812
Equipment expenses	19,032	16,697
Other taxes	11,600	10,860
Professional fees	84,850	79,555
Communications	5,735	5,794
Business promotion	13,892	11,611
FDIC deposit insurance	4,806	6,920
Other real estate owned (O R E O) expenses	2,677	6,131
Other operating expenses	53,512	47,720
Amortization of intangibles	2,288	2,325
Total opearating expense	345,717	320,366
Income (loss) before income taxes and equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	224,819	125,139
Income tax expense	50,586	21,381
Income (loss) before equity in undistributed earnings of subdidiaries	174,233	103,758
Equity in undistributed earnings (losses) of subsidiaries	0	0
Net Income	174,233	103,758
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	278,854	(9,094)
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Service charges on deposit accounts
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	38,691	36,455
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Other services
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Revenue from contract with customer	$ 64,406	60,847
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Non Covered Under Loss Sharing Agreements with FDIC
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		69,354
All other subsidiaries and eliminations | Covered loans
INTEREST EXPENSE:
Provision for loan losses		$ 1,730