A magnetic recording medium comprising a non-magnetic support, at least one primer layer formed on one surface of the non-magnetic support, a magnetic layer formed on the primer layer, and a backcoat layer formed on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, wherein the primer layer has a thickness of 0.3 to 3.0 μm, the magnetic layer has a thickness of 0.30 μm or less and a centerline average surface roughness Ra of 3.2 nm or less, and a ratio of μmSL to μmSUS [(μmSL)/(μmSUS)] is from 0.7 to 1.3 and a ratio of μmSL to μBSUS [(μmSL)/(μBSUS)] is from 0.8 to 1.5, wherein μmSL is a coefficient of friction between said magnetic layer and a slider material, μmSUS is a coefficient of friction between said magnetic layer and stainless steel (SUS 304), and μBSUS is a coefficient of friction between the backcoat layer and stainless steel (SUS 304).