Merger with CPA®:16 – Global (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended										0 Months Ended	2 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 property	Mar. 31, 2013	Jan. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 Jointly Owned Investments	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Net operating income Minimum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Net operating income Maximum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Estimated residual value Minimum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Estimated residual value Maximum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Residual capitalization rates Minimum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Residual capitalization rates Maximum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Cash flows Minimum	Mar. 31, 2014 Level 3 Cash flows Maximum	Mar. 31, 2014 Additional Paid-in Capital	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global investment	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Mar. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global	Mar. 31, 2013 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	Jan. 31, 2014 CPA: 16 - Global Jointly Owned Investments investment	Mar. 31, 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 Premium on Stock Price	Mar. 31, 2014 Hotel property	Jan. 31, 2014 Hotel CPA: 16 - Global Consolidated or partially leased investments property
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
Cash consideration	1,338,000	0													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
Shares of acquired entity received															168,041,772
Number of real estate properties	700																							327			140				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
Lease revenues	123,213,000	72,460,000														45,800,000
Mortgage loans on real estate, interest rate																								5.60%			4.80%
Income from operations	108,597,000	18,516,000														12,500,000
Income (Loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest																200,000
Merger and acquisition expense	29,613,000	121,000															29,500,000	45,100,000
Goodwill	700,024,000			350,208,000											348,972,000															428,500,000
Increase in market value of stock price, per share															$ 2.55
Net asset value, per share																			$ 8.7
Gain on change in control of interests	103,574,000	0																		73,100,000			30,500,000
Carrying value of equity investment in CPA pre merger															274,100,000							142,200,000
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	2,961,999,000			1,492,410,000											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
Fair value of W. P. Carey & Co. LLC equity interest in jointly-owned investments with CPA:16 prior to the CPA:16 Merger															347,164,000							172,720,000
Noncontrolling Interest, Decrease from Redemptions or Purchase of Interests	281,577,000													42,015,000
Carrying Value Of Noncontrolling Interest in Acquired Entity																					236,800,000
Fair value of noncontrolling interests acquired															278,829,000						278,829,000
Deferred income tax expense	$ 3,800,000