In a perpendicular magnetic recording medium which includes a substrate (1) of a nonmagnetic material, first and second nonmagnetic underlayers (4 and 5) formed on the substrate, and a perpendicular magnetic recording layer (6) formed on the first and the second nonmagnetic underlayers, the first nonmagnetic underlayer is made of an amorphous nonmagnetic metal material containing a metal element which forms a face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal structure by a simple substance. The second nonmagnetic underlayer is formed on the first nonmagnetic underlayer in contact with the first nonmagnetic underlayer and made of a nonmagnetic material containing a hexagonal close packed structure. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer is formed on the second nonmagnetic underlayer in contact with the second nonmagnetic layer.