The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support; a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder and a binding agent on one surface of the non-magnetic support; and a back coating layer including a non-magnetic powder and a binding agent on the other surface of the non-magnetic support, in which a center line average surface roughness Ra measured regarding a surface of the back coating layer is equal to or smaller than 7.0 nm, and a difference (Safter−Sbefore) between a spacing Safter measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer after ethanol cleaning and a spacing Sbefore measured by optical interferometry regarding the surface of the back coating layer before ethanol cleaning is greater than 0 nm and equal to or smaller than 15.0 nm.