Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands |
6 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Jun. 30, 2018 |
Jun. 30, 2017 |
|
| Earnings per share [Abstract] | ||
| Profit/(loss) from continuing operations attributable to Atlantica Yield Plc. | $ 67,350 | $ 12,613 |
| Average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands) - basic and diluted (in shares) | 100,217 | 100,217 |
| Earnings per share from continuing operations (US dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share) | $ 0.67 | $ 0.13 |
| Earnings per share from profit/ (loss) for the period (US dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share) | $ 0.67 | $ 0.13 |