A pneumatic radial tire that can improve maneuver stability while maintaining riding comfort is provided. The pneumatic radial tire has a tire tread including at least two layers of a base tread and a cap tread arranged externally in a radial direction of the base tread. The base tread is formed by a base tread rubber composition including at least 2-20 parts by weight of a kraft paper ground product relative to 100 parts by weight of a rubber component. The base tread has its ratio E*a/E*b of a complex elastic modulus in a circumferential direction E*a to a complex elastic modulus in a tire radial direction E*b set to be at least 1.5, each of the complex elastic moduli E*a and E*b being measured at a temperature of 70° C., a frequency of 10 Hz, and a dynamic strain of ±1% at a tire maximum width position in a state where the tire is attached to a rim and filled to a prescribed internal pressure.