The invention provides a magnetic head for perpendicular magnetic recording having an air bearing surface positioned facing the recording surface of a recording medium, which records magnetic information on the recording medium by generating magnetic flux toward the recording surface of the recording medium, and comprises a magnetic pole which generates magnetic flux toward the recording surface of the recording medium and a return yoke having one end connected to the magnetic pole and the other end positioned facing the recording surface of the recording medium, wherein the material composing the magnetic pole has a magnetostriction constant λ of at least 0 and less than 10×10−6, with a parameter P represented by the formula: P=Hk/(λ×σ) (where Hk represents the magnetic anisotropic field (A/m), σ represents the stress (MPa) and λ represents the magnetostriction constant) of larger than 0.1 and less than 200.