Magnetic recording medium and magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus

A magnetic recording medium comprising at least a magnetic layer, a protective layer, and a lubricant layer on a nonmagnetic substrate in this order,

• wherein an outermost surface of the protective layer on the lubricant layer side contains carbon and nitrogen in a range of 10 atomic % to 90 atomic %,
• the lubricant layer is formed by being in contact with the outermost surface, has an average film thickness of 0.5 nm to 2 nm, and contains a compound A represented in the below general formula (1) which has an average molecular weight in a range of 1,500 to 2,000 and a compound B represented in the below general formula (2) which has an average molecular weight in a range of 1,300 to 2,400, and
• a mass ratio (A/B) of the compound A with respect to the compound B is in a range of 0.2 to 3.0,
• R1-C6H4OCH2CH(OH)CH2OCH2-R2-CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH (1)
• in the general formula (1), R1 is an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R2 is —CF2O(CF2CF2O)x(CF2O)yCF2— (an order in parentheses of x and y may be this order, the opposite order, or a random order (each of x and y is a real number of 0 to 15).
• HOCH2CF2CF2O(CF2CF2CF2O)mCF2CF2CH2OCH2CH(OH)CH2OH (2)
• in the general formula (2), m is an integer.