The men's high jump field event at the 1972 Olympic Games took place on September 9 and 10 at the Olympiastadion in Munich, Germany.

The event was won by Jüri Tarmak of the Soviet Union; he was the last man to win an Olympic gold medal using the straddle technique.

East Germany won its first men's high jump medal, in its first appearance, with Stefan Junge's silver.

The top jumper of the previous year, world record holder and winner of the Pan American Games, was Pat Matzdorf from the United States.

[2] Cambodia, Cameroon, Iran, South Korea, Malawi, and Somalia each made their debut in the event; East Germany competed separately for the first time.