CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment Total Stockholders' Equity	Cumulative Effect, Period of Adoption, Adjustment	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units	General Partner Preferred Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	General Partner Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Limited Partners Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Ascenty Acquisition	Limited Partners Common Units Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Total Partners' Capital Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Partners' Capital Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Partners' Capital Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Interest Rate Swap	Total Partners' Capital Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Interests Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Interest Rate Swap	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Ascenty Acquisition	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests -- Operating Partnership Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Ascenty Acquisition	Digital Realty Trust, L.P. Interest Rate Swap	Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests -- Operating Partnership	Preferred Stock Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net Interest Rate Swap	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net	Total Stockholders' Equity Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Stockholders' Equity Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Stockholders' Equity Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Stockholders' Equity Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Total Stockholders' Equity Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units	Total Stockholders' Equity Interest Rate Swap	Total Stockholders' Equity	Noncontrolling Interests in Operating Partnership Ascenty Acquisition	Noncontrolling Interests in Operating Partnership Interest Rate Swap	Noncontrolling Interests in Operating Partnership	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures Ascenty Acquisition	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures	Total Noncontrolling Interests Ascenty Acquisition	Total Noncontrolling Interests Interest Rate Swap	Total Noncontrolling Interests	Series H Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series K Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series L Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units	Ascenty Acquisition	Interest Rate Swap	Total
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard																																				$ 53,902						$ 1,249,560	$ 2,044	$ 11,261,461				$ (2,055,552)		$ (108,432)							$ 10,349,081			$ 698,126		$ 2,243			$ 700,369								$ 11,049,450
Number of units (units)											50,650,000				205,470,300		8,489,095
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2017																																				53,902						1,249,560	$ 2,044	11,261,461				(2,055,552)		(108,432)							10,349,081			698,126		2,243			700,369								11,049,450
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2017																																											205,470,300
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of common units to common stock																																											$ 7	61,997													62,004			(62,004)					(62,004)								0
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)																																											711,892
Issuance of unvested restricted stock, net of forfeitures (shares)																																											220,765
Common stock offering costs																																												(1,194)													(1,194)																$ (1,194)
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs (shares)																																																																									2,338,874
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan											$ 5,874				$ 5,874																												$ 1	5,873													5,874																$ 5,874
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)															69,532																												69,532
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting															$ (5,055)																				$ (5,055)								$ (1)	(5,054)													(5,055)																(5,055)
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting (shares)															(46,833)																												(46,833)
Amortization of unearned compensation on share-based awards															$ 32,456																				32,456									32,456													32,456																32,456
Reclassification of vested share-based awards																																												(3,772)													(3,772)			3,772					3,772
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests															1,596		$ 35,678										$ (37,274)								37,274	(37,274)								1,596													1,596			35,678					35,678								37,274
Preferred stock dividends, including undeclared dividends																																			(81,316)													(81,316)									(81,316)																(81,316)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units																																				(1,271)												(833,364)									(833,364)			(32,311)					(32,311)								(865,675)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures, net of distributions																										$ 66,124									66,124																											66,124			66,124								66,124
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard	$ (5,915)	$ (5,915)	$ 5,915	$ 5,915	$ 5,915																															15,832						1,249,560	$ 2,051	11,355,751				(2,633,071)		(115,647)							9,858,644			906,510		93,056			999,566								10,858,210
Net income (loss)											81,316				$ 249,930		$ 9,705									(311)	475								340,640	475												331,246									331,246			9,705		(311)			9,394								340,640
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments																								$ (11,736)											(11,736)															(11,279)							(11,279)			(457)					(457)								(11,736)
(Decrease) increase in other assets related to change in fair value of interest rate swaps																								8,197											8,197														$ 7,890							$ 7,890			$ 307					$ 307								$ 8,197	8,197
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination																$ 253,837									$ 25,000								$ 278,837																									$ 253,837			$ 25,000		$ 278,837								$ 278,837
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination (shares)																2,338,874
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps																								(3,969)											(3,969)															(3,826)							(3,826)			(143)					(143)								(3,969)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2018	(5,915)	(5,915)	5,915	5,915	5,915																															15,832						1,249,560	$ 2,051	11,355,751				(2,633,071)		(115,647)							9,858,644			906,510		93,056			999,566								10,858,210
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2018																																											206,425,656
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of limited partner common units to general partner common units (units)															711,892		711,892
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership converted to shares of common stock															$ 62,004		$ (62,004)																																																								149,547
Issuance of unvested restricted stock, net of forfeitures (units)															220,765
Reclassification of vested share-based awards															$ (3,772)		3,772
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions											$ (81,316)				$ (833,364)		$ (32,311)										(1,271)								(946,991)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard	(5,915)	(5,915)	5,915	5,915	5,915																															15,832						1,249,560	$ 2,051	11,355,751				(2,633,071)		(115,647)							9,858,644			906,510		93,056			999,566								10,858,210
Number of units (units)											50,650,000				206,425,656		10,580,884
Conversion of common units to common stock																																											$ 22	190,492													190,514			(190,514)					(190,514)								0
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)																																											2,154,460
Issuance of unvested restricted stock, net of forfeitures (shares)																																											256,868
Common stock offering costs																																												(2,530)													(2,530)																(2,530)
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs (shares)									8,400,000	13,800,000
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan															$ 5,462																				5,462									5,462													5,462																5,462
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)															63,774																												63,774
Issuance of preferred stock, net of offering costs									$ 203,264	$ 334,886																					$ 203,264	$ 334,886								$ 203,264	$ 334,886													$ 203,264	$ 334,886														$ 203,264	$ 334,886
Redemption of preferred stock						$ (353,290)						$ (11,760)																$ (365,050)									$ (353,290)								$ (11,760)						$ (365,050)															$ (365,050)
Amortization of unearned compensation on share-based awards															$ 38,662																				38,662									38,662													38,662																38,662
Reclassification of vested share-based awards																																												(8,458)													(8,458)			8,458					8,458								0
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests															(2,059)											(23,878)	25,937								(25,937)	25,937								(2,059)													(2,059)					(23,878)			(23,878)								(25,937)
Preferred stock dividends, including undeclared dividends																																			(74,990)													(74,990)									(74,990)																(74,990)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units																																				(676)												(900,201)									(900,201)			(38,278)					(38,278)								(938,479)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures, net of distributions																										63,173									63,173																											63,173			63,173								63,173
Deconsolidation of consolidated joint venture																										(110,086)									(110,086)																											(110,086)			(110,086)								(110,086)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)																															41,465						1,434,420	$ 2,073	11,577,320				(3,046,579)		(87,922)							9,879,312			708,163		20,625			728,788								10,858,210
Net income (loss)											$ 74,990				$ 504,771		$ 20,728									(1,640)	372								598,849	372												579,761									579,761			20,728		(1,640)			19,088								598,849
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments																								45,662											45,662															43,702							43,702			1,960					1,960								45,662
(Decrease) increase in other assets related to change in fair value of interest rate swaps																								(9,232)											(9,232)														(8,839)							(8,839)			(393)					(393)								(9,232)	(9,232)
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps																								(7,446)											(7,446)															(7,138)							(7,138)			(308)					(308)								(7,446)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2019	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)																															41,465						1,434,420	$ 2,073	11,577,320				(3,046,579)		(87,922)							9,879,312			708,163		20,625			728,788								10,608,100
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019																																											208,900,758
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of limited partner common units to general partner common units (units)															2,154,460		2,154,460
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership converted to shares of common stock															$ 190,514		$ (190,514)																																																								190,514
Issuance of unvested restricted stock, net of forfeitures (units)															256,868		416,731
Reclassification of vested share-based awards															$ (8,458)		$ 8,458
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions											$ (74,990)				$ (900,201)		$ (38,278)										$ (676)								(1,013,469)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)	(6,318)																															41,465						1,434,420	$ 2,073	11,577,320				(3,046,579)		(87,922)							9,879,312			$ 708,163		20,625			728,788								$ 10,608,100
Number of units (units)											58,250,000				208,900,758		8,843,155																																											217,743,913													208,900,758
Conversion of common units to common stock																																											$ 10	92,543													92,553			$ (92,553)					(92,553)
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)																																											1,070,014
Common units and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination															$ 7,013,220						$ 7,013,220														7,013,220								$ 545	7,012,675													7,013,220																$ 7,013,220
Common units and share-based awards issued in connection with InterXion combination (in shares)															54,487,997																												54,487,997
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs																																											$ 160	1,888,366													1,888,526																1,888,526
Issuance of common stock, net of offering costs (shares)																																											15,920,893
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan															$ 6,503						6,503														6,503									6,503													6,503																6,503
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)															58,136																												58,136
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting															$ (7,320)						(7,320)														(7,320)									(8,570)													(8,570)																(8,570)
Redemption of preferred stock							$ (241,468)	$ (242,012)					$ (8,532)	$ (7,988)				$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)										$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)								$ (241,468)	$ (242,012)							$ (8,532)	$ (7,988)					$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)														$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)
Amortization of unearned compensation on share-based awards															$ 77,507						77,507														77,507									78,757													78,757																78,757
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)															(148,072)																												(148,072)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards																																												(17,611)													(17,611)			17,611					17,611
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests																																				3,086								(3,086)													(3,086)																(3,086)
Preferred stock dividends, including undeclared dividends																																			(76,536)													(76,536)									(76,536)																(76,536)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units																																				(700)												(1,214,701)									(1,214,701)			(37,147)					(37,147)								(1,251,848)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint ventures, net of distributions																						$ 2,089				97,914									97,914	2,089																										97,914			97,914								97,914
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard	$ (6,318)	$ (6,318)	$ (6,318)	$ (6,318)	$ (6,318)																															42,011						950,940	$ 2,788	20,626,897				(3,997,938)		135,010							17,717,697			608,980		119,659			728,639								10,608,100
Net income (loss)															$ (279,862)		$ (9,629)				(289,491)	4,417				$ (1,120)									(290,611)	(4,417)												356,398									356,398			9,629		1,120			10,749								367,147
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments																					(230,340)	(488)		(230,340)											(230,340)	488														226,849							226,849			3,491					3,491								230,340
(Decrease) increase in other assets related to change in fair value of interest rate swaps																																			(12,425)																																						(12,425)
Other comprehensive income-fair value of interest rate swaps																				$ 12,425	(8,294)		$ 12,425	$ (8,294)										$ 12,425	(8,294)														$ (11,980)	8,063						$ (11,980)	8,063		$ (445)	231				$ (445)	231							$ (12,425)	8,294
Reclassification to interest expense from interest rate swaps																																			8,294																																						8,294
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020																																				42,011						950,940	$ 2,788	20,626,897				(3,997,938)		135,010							17,717,697			608,980		119,659			728,639								18,446,336
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2020																																											280,289,726
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of limited partner common units to general partner common units (units)															1,070,014		(1,070,014)
Noncontrolling interests in operating partnership converted to shares of common stock															$ 92,553		$ (92,553)																																																								92,553
Issuance of common units, net of forfeitures (units)																	273,126
Reclassification of vested share-based awards															17,611		$ (17,611)
Adjustment to redeemable partnership units															3,086						3,086	(3,086)													3,086
Partners' Capital Account, Distributions															$ (1,214,701)		$ (37,147)				$ (1,251,848)	$ (700)													$ (1,251,848)
Cumulative effect adjustment from adoption of new accounting standard																																				$ 42,011						$ 950,940	$ 2,788	$ 20,626,897				$ (3,997,938)		$ 135,010							$ 17,717,697			$ 608,980		$ 119,659			$ 728,639								$ 18,446,336
Number of units (units)											38,250,000				280,289,726		8,046,267																																											288,335,993													280,289,726