Earnings per Common Share or Unit - Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	18,460,156	17,756,993	19,337,362
Shares of common stock subject to forward sale agreements
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	6,250,000
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)	6,690,521	7,974,005	8,958,932
Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	541,249	1,489,983	1,695,765
Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)		1,452,809	2,102,655
Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)			789,846
Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)		1,269,035	2,105,116
Series J Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,318,309	1,475,721	1,679,534
Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,386,274	1,551,801	1,334,691
Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	2,273,803	2,543,639	670,823