A thin-film magnetic head comprising an inductive element including at least: a lower magnetic pole; a write gap layer; and an upper magnetic pole opposed to the lower magnetic pole through the write gap layer, a width W.sub.P2 in a track-width direction at a facing-to-magnetic-medium top end of the upper magnetic pole being larger than a width W.sub.P1 in the track-width direction at a facing-to-magnetic-medium top end of the lower magnetic pole, and a distance FPD.sub.P2 between the top end of the upper magnetic pole and a flare point of the upper magnetic pole being smaller than a distance FPD.sub.P1 between the top end of the lower magnetic pole and a flare point of the lower magnetic pole, is provided.