A magnetic recording medium suitable for high density recording comprising a non-magnetic substrate and a magnetic layer which contains a non-magnetic binder and ferromagnetic powder dispersed therein formed on said substrate, the coercive force of the magnetic layer being from 1,400 to 2,000 oersteds, the residual magnetic flux density being at least 1,100 gausses and a thickness of the layer being at least 0.5 .mu.m, which effectively works when it is used together with a magnetic head, a part of which near a magnetic gap, made of a magnetic material having saturation magnetic flux density of at least 7,000 gausses and which has a magnetic gap length of 0.15 to 0.4 .mu.m.