Income per Share (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share) (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2019
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	19,802,124	20,522,727
Weighted average of Operating Partnership common units not owned by Digital Realty Trust, Inc.
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	8,279,335	9,229,911
Series C Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,596,099	1,738,781
Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,979,075	2,155,992
Potentially dilutive Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)		3,159,382
Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,981,391	2,158,515
Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,580,822	1,722,138
Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,662,320	358,008
Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	2,723,082