<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!--Generated by DFIN XBRL Instance Document - http://www.dfinsolutions.com/ - Version R3.0 - on 06-January-2023 [10:22:19] {PM}-->
<schema targetNamespace="http://www.digitalrealty.com/20221213" elementFormDefault="qualified" xmlns:dlr="http://www.digitalrealty.com/20221213" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:link="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xbrli="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance" xmlns:xbrldt="http://xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt" xmlns:xl="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/XLink" xmlns:us-gaap="http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2022" xmlns:country="http://xbrl.sec.gov/country/2022" xmlns:currency="http://xbrl.sec.gov/currency/2022" xmlns:dei="http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2022" xmlns:exch="http://xbrl.sec.gov/exch/2022" xmlns:naics="http://xbrl.sec.gov/naics/2022" xmlns:sic="http://xbrl.sec.gov/sic/2022" xmlns:us-types="http://fasb.org/us-types/2022" xmlns:stpr="http://xbrl.sec.gov/stpr/2022" xmlns:deprecated="http://www.xbrl.org/2009/arcrole/fact-explanatoryFact" xmlns:srt="http://fasb.org/srt/2022" xmlns:srt-types="http://fasb.org/srt-types/2022" xmlns:dtr-types="http://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2020-01-21">
<annotation>
<appinfo>
<link:roleType roleURI="http://www.digitalrealty.com/role/CoverPage" id="CoverPage">
<link:definition>1001 - Document - Cover Page</link:definition>
<link:usedOn>link:presentationLink</link:usedOn>
<link:usedOn>link:definitionLink</link:usedOn>
<link:usedOn>link:calculationLink</link:usedOn>
</link:roleType>
<link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="dlr-20221213_pre.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" />
<link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="dlr-20221213_def.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/definitionLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" />
<link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="dlr-20221213_lab.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/labelLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" />
<link:linkbaseRef xlink:type="simple" xlink:href="dlr-20221213_cal.xml" xlink:role="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/calculationLinkbaseRef" xlink:arcrole="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink/properties/linkbase" />
</appinfo>
</annotation>
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-instance-2003-12-31.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/linkbase" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2003/xbrl-linkbase-2003-12-31.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/2005/xbrldt-2005.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://fasb.org/us-gaap/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/us-gaap/2022/elts/us-gaap-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/country/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/country/2022/country-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/currency/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/currency/2022/currency-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/exch/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/exch/2022/exch-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/naics/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/naics/2022/naics-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/sic/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/sic/2022/sic-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/stpr/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/stpr/2022/stpr-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/negated" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/lrr/role/negated-2009-12-16.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/net" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/lrr/role/net-2009-12-16.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/2009/arcrole/fact-explanatoryFact" schemaLocation="http://www.xbrl.org/lrr/arcrole/factExplanatory-2009-12-16.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.sec.gov/dei/2022/dei-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://fasb.org/us-types/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/us-gaap/2022/elts/us-types-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://fasb.org/srt-types/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/srt/2022/elts/srt-types-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://fasb.org/srt/2022" schemaLocation="https://xbrl.fasb.org/srt/2022/elts/srt-2022.xsd" />
<import namespace="http://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2020-01-21" schemaLocation="https://www.xbrl.org/dtr/type/2020-01-21/types.xsd" />
<element name="DigitalRealtyTrustLPMember" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" abstract="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" nillable="true" id="dlr_DigitalRealtyTrustLPMember" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
<element name="SeriesJPreferredStockMember" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" abstract="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" nillable="true" id="dlr_SeriesJPreferredStockMember" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
<element name="SeriesKPreferredStockMember" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" abstract="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" nillable="true" id="dlr_SeriesKPreferredStockMember" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
<element name="SeriesLPreferredStockMember" type="dtr-types:domainItemType" abstract="true" xbrli:periodType="duration" nillable="true" id="dlr_SeriesLPreferredStockMember" substitutionGroup="xbrli:item" />
</schema>
