For a quarter of century since independence, Kazakhstan has been experiencing the rapid growth of NGOs. At the same time, it is challenging to define precisely the size of civil society in Kazakhstan, given that government agencies and scholars differ in their estimations. The first problem is definition of non-government organization. Knox and Yessimova (2015) point to the vague definition of NGO that used in Kazakhstani legislation. Thus laws, that regulate this sphere, give opportunities “[to] include a variety of organizations such as joint stock companies, consumer co-operatives, religious associations, foundations, unions, and associations, making it difficult to differentiate the traditional boundaries of civil society” (Knox & Yessimova, 2015: 303).