Abstract: An optical recording medium 10 is provided with a supporting substrate 11 and a light-transmitting layer 12, and further has between the light-transmitting layer 12 and the supporting substrate 11 a dielectric layer 31, a noble-metal oxide layer 23, a dielectric layer 32, a light absorption layer 22 and a dielectric layer 33. The second dielectric layer 32 contains as a main component ZnS or a mixture of ZnS and SiO2, and therein the proportion of ZnS to the sum of ZnS and SiO2 is set at a value from 60 mole % to 100 mole %. Since the material of the second dielectric layer 32 has both high hardness and elasticity, and high thermal conductivity besides, excellent balance of thermal conductivity with layer hardness can be achieved and makes it possible to form fine recording marks in true shapes.