A pneumatic tire comprising a tread having a base layer and a cap layer located radially outward of the base layer, wherein the cap layer includes a center element and a pair of side elements located outward of the center element in an axial direction, the hardness of each side element is lower than the hardness of the center element, when the hardness is measured according to the standards of JIS K6253 under a temperature condition of 23°C using a type A durometer, characterized in that a plurality of circumferential grooves (56, 56s, 56m) are formed on the tread, whereby a plurality of land portions (58, 58s, 58m, 58c) are formed in the tread, among the plurality of circumferential grooves (56, 56s, 56m), a circumferential groove located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder circumferential groove, among the plurality of land portions (58, 58s, 58m, 58c), a land portion located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder land portion, and a land portion located inward of the shoulder land portion is a middle land portion, a plurality of lateral grooves each having a groove width of 2.0 mm or greater are formed on the shoulder land portion, in a ground-contact surface obtained by fitting the tire onto a normal rim, adjusting an internal pressure of the tire to a normal internal pressure, and pressing the tire against a road surface at a load equal to 68% of a normal load at a camber angle of 0°, a ratio (AG/AL) of areas of the lateral grooves included in the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion to an area of the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion is not greater than 3%, the cap layer in the shoulder land portion includes the side element, the lateral grooves each have an end portion within the shoulder land portion and extend from the end portion toward an end of the tread, a plurality of open sipes each having a groove width of 1.5 mm or less are formed on the shoulder land portion, and the open sipes connect the shoulder circumferential groove and the end portions of the lateral grooves. the cap layer includes a center element and a pair of side elements located outward of the center element in an axial direction, the hardness of each side element is lower than the hardness of the center element, when the hardness is measured according to the standards of JIS K6253 under a temperature condition of 23°C using a type A durometer, a plurality of circumferential grooves (56, 56s, 56m) are formed on the tread, whereby a plurality of land portions (58, 58s, 58m, 58c) are formed in the tread, among the plurality of circumferential grooves (56, 56s, 56m), a circumferential groove located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder circumferential groove, among the plurality of land portions (58, 58s, 58m, 58c), a land portion located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder land portion, and a land portion located inward of the shoulder land portion is a middle land portion, a plurality of lateral grooves each having a groove width of 2.0 mm or greater are formed on the shoulder land portion, in a ground-contact surface obtained by fitting the tire onto a normal rim, adjusting an internal pressure of the tire to a normal internal pressure, and pressing the tire against a road surface at a load equal to 68% of a normal load at a camber angle of 0°, a ratio (AG/AL) of areas of the lateral grooves included in the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion to an area of the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion is not greater than 3%, the cap layer in the shoulder land portion includes the side element, the lateral grooves each have an end portion within the shoulder land portion and extend from the end portion toward an end of the tread, a plurality of open sipes each having a groove width of 1.5 mm or less are formed on the shoulder land portion, and the open sipes connect the shoulder circumferential groove and the end portions of the lateral grooves.