Segment reporting - Results of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2023	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2022
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	$ 531,656	$ 494,312
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	47,637	(15,500)
Non-interest Income	161,961	154,692
Amortization of intangibles	795	891
Depreciation expense	13,842	13,630
Other operating expenses	426,050	387,818
Income tax expense (benefit)	46,314	50,479
Net income (loss)	158,979	211,686
Segment assets	67,675,759	69,525,082	$ 67,637,917
Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	539,907	501,690
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	47,773	(15,709)
Non-interest Income	153,719	141,679
Amortization of intangibles	795	891
Depreciation expense	13,483	13,341
Other operating expenses	426,896	388,381
Income tax expense (benefit)	46,808	50,908
Net income (loss)	157,871	205,557
Segment assets	67,376,464	69,120,175
Intersegment Elimination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	1	1
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0
Non-interest Income	(136)	(137)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Other operating expenses	(136)	(136)
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0
Net income (loss)	1	0
Segment assets	(541,534)	(167,754)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	(8,251)	(7,378)
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	(136)	209
Non-interest Income	9,714	14,265
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	359	289
Other operating expenses	230	444
Income tax expense (benefit)	(321)	(332)
Net income (loss)	1,331	6,277
Segment assets	5,803,751	5,490,318
Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	0	0
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	0	0
Non-interest Income	(1,472)	(1,252)
Amortization of intangibles	0	0
Depreciation expense	0	0
Other operating expenses	(1,076)	(1,007)
Income tax expense (benefit)	(173)	(97)
Net income (loss)	(223)	(148)
Segment assets	(5,504,456)	(5,085,411)
Banco Popular de Puerto Rico | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	449,820	415,169
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	45,708	(13,690)
Non-interest Income	147,471	135,862
Amortization of intangibles	484	484
Depreciation expense	11,669	11,517
Other operating expenses	363,715	334,878
Income tax expense (benefit)	42,832	39,316
Net income (loss)	132,883	178,526
Segment assets	55,770,442	58,708,519
PB | Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net Interest income (expense)	90,086	86,520
Provision for credit losses (benefit)	2,065	(2,019)
Non-interest Income	6,384	5,954
Amortization of intangibles	311	407
Depreciation expense	1,814	1,824
Other operating expenses	63,317	53,639
Income tax expense (benefit)	3,976	11,592
Net income (loss)	24,987	27,031
Segment assets	$ 12,147,556	$ 10,579,410