The magnetic recording medium has a nonmagnetic layer containing nonmagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, and a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on the nonmagnetic layer, wherein a thickness of the nonmagnetic layer ranges from 0.10 to 0.60 μm; and the magnetic layer further contains nonmagnetic filler satisfying equation 1 below and having a Vickers hardness of less than or equal to 122 N/mm2: 1. 150≦D2/D1≦1.300   Equation 1: wherein, in equation 1, D1 is a value, with a unit of μm, obtained from equation 2 below: D   1 = 6 ρ · S , Equation   2 D2 is an average particle size, with a unit of μm, of the nonmagnetic filler, and in equation 2, ρ denotes a density, with a unit of g/cm3, of the nonmagnetic filler and S denotes a specific surface area, with a unit of m2/g, of the nonmagnetic filler.