According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetoresistive element between a first magnetic shield layer and a second magnetic shield layer, and a hard bias layer between the first magnetic shield layer and the second magnetic shield layer on a side surface of the magnetoresistive element in a first direction intersecting with a second direction which links the first and second magnetic shield layers. The hard bias layer includes Fe or an alloy containing Fe and Co. An aspect ratio (h/w) of the hard bias layer is not smaller than 2, where h is a height of the hard bias layer in the first direction and w is a thickness of the hard bias layer in the second direction.