Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Loans (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018 item
Loans written off
Threshold nonperforming period for substandard loans	30 days
Minimum number of installments overdue to be classified as non-compliant	1
Threshold past due period for non-complying loans	90 days
Consumer loans
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	6 months
Other transactions - unsecured
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	24 months
Commercial loans - secured
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	36 months
Residential mortgage loans
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	48 months
Consumer leases
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	6 months
Other non-real estate lease transactions
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	12 months
Real estate leases (commercial or residential)
Loans written off
Maximum period allowed to written off loans	36 months

- 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_DisclosureOfLoansWrittenOffLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The maximum period in which loans are written off, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_MaximumPeriodAllowedToWrittenOffLoans
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the minimum number of installments overdue to be classified as non-compliant.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_MinimumNumberOfInstallmentsOverdueToBeClassifiedAsNonCompliant
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The threshold non-performing period for loans to be classified as Substandard.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_ThresholdNonperformingPeriodForSubstandardLoans
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The threshold past due period for loans to be classified as Non-complying.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bch_ThresholdPastDuePeriodForNoncomplyingLoans
Namespace Prefix:	bch_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_OtherTransactionsUnsecuredMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_CommercialLoansSecuredMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_ResidentialMortgageLoansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_ConsumerLeasesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_OtherNonRealEstateLeaseTransactionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	ifrs-full_ClassesOfAssetsAxis=bch_RealEstateLeasesCommercialOrResidentialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: