Earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands |
9 Months Ended | |
|---|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2018 |
Sep. 30, 2017 |
|
| Earnings per share [Abstract] | ||
| Profit/(loss) from continuing operations attributable to Atlantica Yield Plc. | $ 120,512 | $ 42,582 |
| Average number of ordinary shares outstanding (thousands) - basic and diluted (in shares) | 100,217 | 100,217 |
| Earnings per share from continuing operations (U.S. dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share) | $ 1.20 | $ 0.42 |
| Earnings per share from profit/ (loss) for the period (U.S. dollar per share) - basic and diluted (in dollars per share) | $ 1.20 | $ 0.42 |