Provided are a rubber composition for tires that shows a balanced improvement in properties such as fuel economy, processability, heat aging resistance, abrasion resistance, wet-grip performance, performance on snow and ice, and handling stability, and a pneumatic tire formed from the rubber composition. The present invention relates to a rubber composition for tires, containing: a highly purified, modified natural rubber having a pH adjusted to 2-7; carbon black and/or a white filler; and a styrene-butadiene rubber having a styrene content of 30% by mass or more, and also relates to a pneumatic tire formed from the rubber composition.