A flexible tube for an endoscope, comprising: a flexible tube base including: a spiral tube formed by winding a metal strip in a spiral shape; and a mesh tube covering an outer periphery of the spiral tube; an outer coating layer that is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube base by two-layer forming and that includes a soft resin layer and a hard resin layer, the soft resin layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube base, and the hard resin layer covering an outer side of the soft resin layer using a resin that is harder than the soft resin layer; a ratio changing portion which is formed in the outer coating layer and in which a percentage of a thickness of the hard resin layer with respect to a total thickness of the outer coating layer decreases and a percentage of a thickness of the soft resin layer with respect to the total thickness of the outer coating layer increases toward a distal side from a proximal side of the flexible tube base; and characterised by a tapered portion which is formed in the outer coating layer and is located on a distal side of the ratio changing portion, and in which tapered portion a ratio between the thickness of the hard resin layer and the thickness of the soft resin layer is maintained, which ratio between the thickness of the hard resin layer and the thickness of the soft resin layer is the same as that at a position in the ratio changing portion where the percentage of the thickness of the hard resin layer with respect to the total thickness of the outer coating layer is a lower limit, and in which tapered portion an outer diameter of the outer coating layer decreases toward a distal end of the flexible tube base so that a minimum outer diameter position matches a distal portion of the flexible tube base, wherein the thickness ratio between the soft resin layer and the hard resin layer in the tapered portion is 90:10 to 98:2. a flexible tube base including: a spiral tube formed by winding a metal strip in a spiral shape; and a mesh tube covering an outer periphery of the spiral tube; an outer coating layer that is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube base by two-layer forming and that includes a soft resin layer and a hard resin layer, the soft resin layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the flexible tube base, and the hard resin layer covering an outer side of the soft resin layer using a resin that is harder than the soft resin layer; a ratio changing portion which is formed in the outer coating layer and in which a percentage of a thickness of the hard resin layer with respect to a total thickness of the outer coating layer decreases and a percentage of a thickness of the soft resin layer with respect to the total thickness of the outer coating layer increases toward a distal side from a proximal side of the flexible tube base; and characterised by a tapered portion which is formed in the outer coating layer and is located on a distal side of the ratio changing portion, and in which tapered portion a ratio between the thickness of the hard resin layer and the thickness of the soft resin layer is maintained, which ratio between the thickness of the hard resin layer and the thickness of the soft resin layer is the same as that at a position in the ratio changing portion where the percentage of the thickness of the hard resin layer with respect to the total thickness of the outer coating layer is a lower limit, and in which tapered portion an outer diameter of the outer coating layer decreases toward a distal end of the flexible tube base so that a minimum outer diameter position matches a distal portion of the flexible tube base, wherein the thickness ratio between the soft resin layer and the hard resin layer in the tapered portion is 90:10 to 98:2.