Merger with CPA®:16 – Global (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended								3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	5 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	18 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended							0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014 property	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014 property	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 Jointly Owned Investments	Dec. 31, 2013 Assets held-for-sale property	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Net operating income Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Net operating income Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Estimated residual value Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Estimated residual value Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Residual capitalization rates Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Residual capitalization rates Maximum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Cash flows Minimum	Jun. 30, 2014 Level 3 Cash flows Maximum	Mar. 31, 2014 Additional Paid-in Capital	Jun. 30, 2014 Additional Paid-in Capital	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global investment	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Dec. 31, 2012 CPA: 16 - Global	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Previously held equity interest	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Previously held equity interest investment	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Jointly Owned Investments	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Jointly Owned Investments	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Jointly Owned Investments investment	Jun. 30, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Jointly Owned Investments	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Consolidated or partially leased investments property	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Consolidated or partially leased investments Fixed interest rate loan	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Consolidated or partially leased investments Variable interest rate loan	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Equity method investments investment property	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Equity method investments Fixed interest rate loan	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Equity method investments Variable interest rate loan	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Assets held-for-sale property	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Premium on Stock Price	Jun. 30, 2014 Hotel property	Jan. 31, 2014 Hotel CPA: 16 - Global Consolidated or partially leased investments property	Jun. 30, 2014 Measurement period adjustment CPA: 16 - Global	Jun. 30, 2014 Measurement period adjustment CPA: 16 - Global
Merger Disclosure
Share per share exchange rate																					0.1830
Per share exchange rate																					$ 11.25
Per share closing price						$ 59.08
Merger consideration																			$ 1,816,859,000	$ 1,816,859,000	$ 1,800,000,000
Cash consideration			1,338,000	0															1,338,000	1,338,000	1,338,000
Shares issued as compensation, shares																					30,729,878
Fair value of W.P.Carey shares of common stock issued																			1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000	1,815,521,000
Shares of acquired entity received																					168,041,772
Number of real estate properties	686		686					9																									325			140			10		2	2
Number of investments consolidated after merger																																				5
Weighted average lease term																																	10 years 4 months 24 days			8 years 7 months 6 days
Triple-net lease, current minimum base rent receivable																																	300,100,000			63,900,000
Mortgage loans on real estate, interest rate																																	5.60%			4.80%
Lease revenues	148,253,000	73,984,000	271,320,000	146,444,000																		70,300,000	115,900,000
Income from operations	44,333,000	41,785,000	153,876,000	60,299,000																		27,500,000	35,200,000
Income attributable to noncontrolling interest																						1,800,000	1,800,000
Merger and acquisition expense	1,137,000	3,128,000	30,751,000	3,249,000	5,000,000																			30,400,000	10,600,000
Total Consideration																			2,059,840,000	2,057,914,000	2,059,840,000																							1,926,000
Total identifiable net assets																			1,810,597,000	1,808,287,000		1,810,597,000	1,810,597,000	1,810,597,000	1,810,597,000																		2,310,000	2,310,000
Amounts attributable to noncontrolling interests																			(99,633,000)	(99,345,000)	(99,633,000)	(99,633,000)	(99,633,000)	(99,633,000)	(99,633,000)																		(288,000)	(288,000)
Goodwill	698,891,000		698,891,000		350,208,000														348,876,000	348,972,000	348,876,000	348,876,000	348,876,000	348,876,000	348,876,000															428,500,000			(96,000)	(96,000)
Increase in market value of stock price, per share																					$ 2.55
Net asset value, per share																										$ 8.70
Gain on change in control of interests	0	0	104,645,000	0																							73,100,000					30,200,000
Recognition of deferred revenue as a result of the CPA®:16 Merger			4,848,000	0
Carrying value of equity investment in CPA pre merger																					274,100,000										142,500,000
Number of shares owned																					38,229,294
Valuation techniques			•Discount rates applied to the estimated net operating income of each property ranged from approximately 4.75% to 15.25%;•Discount rates applied to the estimated residual value of each property ranged from approximately 4.75% to 14.00%;•Residual capitalization rates applied to the properties ranged from approximately 5.00% to 12.50%;•The fair market value of the property level debt was determined based upon available market data for comparable liabilities and by applying selected discount rates to the stream of future debt payments; and•Discount rates applied to the property level debt cash flows ranged from approximately 1.80% to 8.75%.
Discount rate							5.00%		4.75%	15.25%	4.75%	14.00%	5.00%	12.50%	1.80%	8.75%
Amount outstanding (line of credit)																					170,000,000
Loans outstanding, count																																		92	18		17	5
Non-recourse debt	2,823,415,000		2,823,415,000		1,492,410,000														1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000	1,768,288,000											300,000,000
Number of unconsolidated investments																					18
Number of consolidated investments																																				11
Number of jointly owned investments with affiliate																												12			9					2
Purchase on remaining interest			280,936,000														42,000,000	41,374,000
Carrying value of noncontrolling interest acquired from entity																												236,800,000
Fair value of noncontrolling interests acquired																			278,187,000	278,829,000	278,187,000	278,187,000	278,187,000	278,187,000	278,187,000																		(642,000)	(642,000)
Fair value of W. P. Carey & Co. LLC equity interest in jointly-owned investments with CPA:16 prior to the CPA:16 Merger																			$ 348,448,000	$ 347,164,000	$ 348,448,000								$ 172,720,000	$ 172,720,000	$ 172,720,000												$ 1,284,000