Risk Management - Collateral and Other Enhancements (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 CLP ($) item	Dec. 31, 2017 CLP ($)
Guarantee values
Number of collateral assets \| item	225,191
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Value of guarantees, classified as impaired	$ 85,721	$ 102,014
Value of guarantees, classified as non-impaired	295,634	358,967
Loans to customers
Guarantee values
Maximum exposure to credit risk	27,926,632	25,451,513
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Mortgages	13,391,818	12,018,604
Pledge	107,400	102,620
Securities	455,039	472,672
Warrants	2,263	3,381
Others	313,149	320,810
Net collateral	14,269,669	12,918,087
Net exposure	13,656,963	12,533,426
Corporate lending
Guarantee values
Maximum exposure to credit risk	11,705,859	9,775,740
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Mortgages	2,589,429	2,269,716
Pledge	75,105	72,893
Securities	423,556	438,595
Warrants	2,263	3,381
Others	221,919	243,961
Net collateral	3,312,272	3,028,546
Net exposure	8,393,587	6,747,194
Small business loans
Guarantee values
Maximum exposure to credit risk	3,732,539	4,185,078
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Mortgages	2,977,286	2,543,343
Pledge	31,270	28,699
Securities	28,974	32,034
Others	71,140	58,255
Net collateral	3,108,670	2,662,331
Net exposure	623,869	1,522,747
Consumer loans
Guarantee values
Maximum exposure to credit risk	4,436,161	4,013,459
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Mortgages	332,030	283,091
Pledge	967	938
Securities	2,244	1,776
Others	20,090	18,594
Net collateral	355,331	304,399
Net exposure	4,080,830	3,709,060
Mortgage loans
Guarantee values
Maximum exposure to credit risk	8,052,073	7,477,236
Fair value of loans covered by collateral
Mortgages	7,493,073	6,922,454
Pledge	58	90
Securities	265	267
Net collateral	7,493,396	6,922,811
Net exposure	$ 558,677	$ 554,425

Amount represents total net collateral assets.

No definition available.

Name:	bch_CollateralAssets
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_DisclosureOfGuaranteeValuesLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_LoansCoveredByCollateralAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount represents mortgage assets held as collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_MortgageAssetsHeldAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount represents the net exposure to credit risk after taking into account any collateral held or other credit enhancements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_NetExposureToCreditRisk
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of collaterals held by the bank.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_NumberOfCollaterals
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount represents other assets held as collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_OtherAssetsHeldAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount represents pledges held as collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_PledgesHeldAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount represents securities held as collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_SecuritiesHeldAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of guarantees maintained which relate to placements individually classified a impaired.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_ValueOfGuaranteesClassifiedAsImpaired
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of guarantees maintained which relate to non-impaired loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_ValueOfGuaranteesClassifiedAsNonImpaired
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount represents warrants held as collateral.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_WarrantsHeldAsCollateral
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount that best represents the maximum exposure to credit risk without taking into account any collateral held or other credit enhancements (for example, netting agreements that do not qualify for offset in accordance with IAS 32). [Refer: Credit risk [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 35K
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2018-03-01&anchor=para_35K_a&doctype=Standard
-URIDate 2018-03-16

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Note Expiry date 2021-01-01
-Name IFRS
-Number 7
-IssueDate 2018-01-01
-Paragraph 36
-Subparagraph a
-URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2017-03-02&anchor=para_36_a&doctype=Standard&book=b
-URIDate 2018-03-16

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_MaximumExposureToCreditRisk
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=bch_LoansToCustomersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=ifrs-full_CorporateLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=bch_SmallBusinessLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=ifrs-full_ConsumerLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialInstrumentsAxis=ifrs-full_MortgagesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: