Income per Share (Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings per Share) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	19,466,156	20,028,886	13,559,863
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)	9,087,726	8,227,463	3,996,550
Series C Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,695,765	1,876,584	540,773
Series F Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	0	0	463,301
Potentially dilutive Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	2,102,655	2,326,861	2,261,153
Potentially dilutive Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	789,846	3,409,772	3,313,484
Potentially dilutive Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	2,105,116	2,329,584	2,263,799
Series J Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,679,534	1,858,622	720,803
Potentially dilutive Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	1,334,691	0	0
Series L Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Potentially dilutive securities (shares)	670,823	0	0