Magnetic recording medium having characterized magnetic layer

A magnetic recording medium comprising:

• a non-magnetic support;
• and
• a magnetic layer which is provided on the support and contains ferromagnetic powder and a binder,
• wherein the ferromagnetic powder is ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder, the magnetic layer contains an abrasive and a fatty acid ester, an intensity ratio (Int (110)/Int (114)) of a peak intensity Int (110) of a diffraction peak of (110) plane of a crystal structure of the hexagonal ferrite, determined by performing X-ray diffraction analysis on the magnetic layer by using an In-Plane method, to a peak intensity Int (114) of a diffraction peak of (114) plane of the crystal structure is equal to or higher than 0.5 and equal to or lower than 4.0,
• a squareness ratio of the magnetic recording medium in a vertical direction is equal to or higher than 0.65 and equal to or lower than 1.00,
• a full width at half maximum of a spacing distribution measured within a surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interference method before the magnetic recording medium is heated in a vacuum is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm,
• a full width at half maximum of a spacing distribution measured within the surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interference method after the magnetic recording medium is heated in a vacuum is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and
• a difference (Safter−Sbefore) between a spacing Safter, which is measured within a surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interference method after the magnetic recording medium is heated in a vacuum, and a spacing Sbefore, which is measured within the surface of the magnetic layer by an optical interference method before the magnetic recording medium is heated in a vacuum, is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 8.0 nm.