CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Redeemable Noncontrolling Interests	Preferred Stock Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Dividends in Excess of Earnings Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual 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	Total Noncontrolling Interests	Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock	Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Series G Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Series I Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Noncontrolling Interests in Consolidated Joint Ventures Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Redeemable Interests Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Digital Realty Trust, L.P.	Total
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 41,465				$ 1,434,420	$ 2,073	$ 11,577,320				$ (3,046,579)	$ (87,922)	$ 728,788										$ 10,608,100
Beginning balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2019						208,900,758
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of common units to common stock						$ 10	92,543						(92,553)
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)						1,070,014
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with business combinations						$ 545	7,012,675															$ 7,013,220	7,013,220
Common stock and share-based awards issued in connection with business combinations (in shares)						54,487,997
Issuance of common stock, net of costs						$ 160	1,888,366																1,888,526
Issuance of common stock, net of costs (shares)						15,920,893
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan							6,503															6,503	6,503
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)						58,136
Amortization of share-based compensation							78,757															77,507	78,757
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)						(148,072)
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting							(8,570)															(7,320)	(8,570)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards							(17,611)						17,611
Redemption of preferred stock			$ (241,468)	$ (242,012)					$ (8,532)	$ (7,988)						$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)	$ (250,000)
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests	3,086						(3,086)																(3,086)
Dividends declared on preferred stock											(76,536)											(76,536)	(76,536)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units	(700)										(1,214,701)		(37,147)										(1,251,848)
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests	2,089												97,914							$ 97,914	$ 2,089	97,914	97,914
Net income (loss)	(4,417)										356,398		10,749							1,120	(4,417)	290,611	367,147
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments	488											226,849	3,491								488	230,340	230,340
Other comprehensive income (loss)-fair value of interest rate swaps												(11,980)	(445)									(12,425)	(12,425)
Other comprehensive income-reclassification of accumulated other comprehensive income to interest expense												8,063	231									8,294	8,294
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2020	42,011				950,940	$ 2,788	20,626,897				(3,997,938)	135,010	728,639										18,446,336
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2020						280,289,726
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of common units to common stock						$ 25	206,695						(206,720)										0
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)						2,502,331
Common stock issued in connection with acquisition						$ 1	18,269															18,270	18,270
Common stock issued in connection with acquisition (shares)						125,395
Issuance of common stock, net of costs						$ 11	172,085																172,096
Issuance of common stock, net of costs (shares)						1,060,943
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan							9,895															9,895	9,895
Shares issued under employee stock purchase plan (shares)						82,129
Amortization of unearned compensation on share-based awards							88,414																88,414
Amortization of share-based compensation																						88,414
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)						354,489
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting						$ (1)	(16,733)															(16,734)	(16,734)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards							(23,829)						23,829
Redemption of preferred stock		$ (219,250)						$ 18,000						$ (201,250)	$ (201,250)
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests	5,830						(5,830)														5,830	(5,830)	(5,830)
Dividends declared on preferred stock											(45,761)											(45,761)	(45,761)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units	(724)										(1,315,489)		(31,567)										(1,347,056)
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests	(1,052)												125,186							125,186	(1,052)	125,186	125,186
Deconsolidation of consolidated entities													(197,016)							(197,016)		(197,016)	(197,016)
Net income (loss)	930										1,709,259		37,223							(947)	930	1,746,482	1,746,482
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments												(311,413)	(7,415)									(318,828)	(318,828)
Other comprehensive income (loss)-fair value of interest rate swaps												1,250	29									1,279	1,279
Other comprehensive income-reclassification of accumulated other comprehensive income to interest expense												1,273	31									1,304	1,304
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2021	46,995				731,690	$ 2,824	21,075,863				(3,631,929)	(173,880)	472,219										18,476,787
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2021						284,415,013
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Conversion of common units to common stock							2,942						(2,942)										0
Conversion of common units to common stock (shares)						36,284
Amortization of unearned compensation on share-based awards							92,461																92,461
Amortization of share-based compensation																						92,461
Vesting of restricted stock, net (shares)						340,874
Partial settlement of forward sale agreements, net of costs						$ 63	923,400															923,463	923,463
Partial settlement of forward sale agreements, net of costs (shares)						6,250,000
Shares issued under equity plans, net of share settlement to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting							1,496																1,496
Shares issued under equity plans, net of share settlement to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting (shares)						106,051
Shares repurchased and retired to satisfy tax withholding upon vesting																						(7,143)
Reclassification of vested share-based awards							(29,864)						29,864										(1,434,140)
Adjustment to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(11,954)						11,954																11,954
Dividends declared on preferred stock											(40,724)											(40,724)	(40,724)
Dividends and distributions on common stock and common and incentive units	(760)										(1,403,344)		(30,796)
Redeemable noncontrolling interests associated with acquisition of Teraco	1,530,090																				1,530,090
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests	1,703												46,277							46,277	1,703	46,277	46,277
Sale of noncontrolling interest in property to DCRU							64,616						12,275							12,275		76,891	76,891
Net income (loss)	(4,653)										377,684		7,294							$ (620)	(4,653)	384,792	384,978
Other comprehensive income (loss)-foreign currency translation adjustments	(46,742)											(323,366)	(7,765)								$ (46,742)	(331,131)	(331,131)
Other comprehensive income (loss)-fair value of interest rate swaps												(91,644)	(2,159)									(93,803)	(93,803)
Other comprehensive income-reclassification of accumulated other comprehensive income to interest expense												(6,908)	(136)									$ (7,044)	(7,044)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2022	$ 1,514,679				$ 731,690	$ 2,887	$ 22,142,868				$ (4,698,313)	$ (595,798)	$ 524,131										$ 18,107,465
Ending balance (shares) at Dec. 31, 2022						291,148,222