A piston ring material is provided which retains excellent mechanical properties and processability, which are required of piston ring materials, and has wearing resistance and scuffing resistance, which are sliding properties required of piston rings. The piston ring material, which is for use in internal combustion engines, contains, in terms of mass %, 0.3-0.8% carbon, 0.1-3.0% silicon, 0.1-3.0% manganese, 0.01-0.3% sulfur, 0.1-2.0% chromium, and 0.05-2.0% the sum of titanium and/or zirconium, with the remainder being iron and incidental impurities. The titanium and/or zirconium contained in the piston ring material and the sulfur contained therein satisfy the following relationship. [Ti (%)+½Zr (%)]/S (%)≦5.0 Preferably, the material may contain one or more members selected from up to 1.0% copper, less than 3.0% molybdenum, up to 1.0% aluminum, and less than 2.0% nickel, in terms of mass %.