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 are formed on the tread , whereby a plurality of land portions are formed in the tread , among the plurality of circumferential grooves , a circumferential groove located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder circumferential groove , among the plurality of land portions , 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 (AG) of the lateral grooves included in the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion to an area (AL) 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 are formed on the tread , whereby a plurality of land portions are formed in the tread , among the plurality of circumferential grooves , a circumferential groove located on each outer side in the axial direction is a shoulder circumferential groove , among the plurality of land portions , 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 (AG) of the lateral grooves included in the ground-contact surface of the shoulder land portion to an area (AL) 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 . <EOS>