Country map
Kazakhstan
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP, 2022)
59
Population (UNFPA, 2024)
19.8 milion
Total number of volunteers (ILO, 2021)
45,400
Direct volunteering (ILO, 2021)
No data
Organization-based (ILO, 2021)
No data

Volunteer statistics (ILO)*

Source: ILOSTATS. The data is collected by ILO from national statistical offices. As national statistics on volunteer work are produced using a variety of approaches and tools, direct and cross-country comparisons are not recommended. For more information, visit https://ilostat.ilo.org/topics/volunteer-work/

Total volunteering by type

Total volunteering by age group

Total volunteering by gender

Direct volunteering by gender

Organization-based volunteering by gender

Measurement work

Data source

  • 2007
  • 2008
  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 2011
  • 2012
    • Time Use Survey
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2017
    • Labour Force Survey
  • 2018
    • Labour Force Survey
  • 2019
    • Labour Force Survey
  • 2020
    • Labour Force Survey
  • 2021
    • Labour Force Survey
  • 2022
  • 2023
  • 2024

Laws, Policies, Schemes on Volunteering

Does the country have a piece of legislation on volunteering?

Yes

National Law No. 42-VI of 30 December 2016 "On Volunteer Activity"

Year 2016
View source

No data

Does the country have a national policy, scheme, plan or strategy specific to volunteering?

Yes

Name of specific policy, strategy or plan on volunteering at the national level. Year created Source link What are the relevant SDG areas/crosscutting themes of the policy, plan scheme or strategy?

Order of the Ministry on Religious Affairs and Civil Society No. 41-1 of 24 March 2017 "On Adoption of the Rules of Monitoring of Volunteer Activity"

2017 View source

Decree of the Government No. 3 of 16 January 2020 "On Adoption of the Plan of Activities on the Year of Volunteer"

2020 View source

Does the country have a sectoral and cross-sectoral policy, scheme, plan or strategy that mentions volunteering?

No

VNR Reporting

Voluntary National Review 2019

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SDG symbol SDG symbol

Reporting positive contribution of volunteering to the SDGs

Paragraph 1, page 134

Kazakhstan pays special attention to youth policy. Since 2015, the Government has expanded the annual funding for the development of volunteer initiatives; the greater integration of the volunteer movement into SDG implementation is being discussed. 2019 was declared the Year of Youth in Kazakhstan. Youth volunteer movements are developing and Kazakhstani youth are actively involved in projects that help vulnerable populations (older people, single mothers, large families and others) and people facing hardship, and in environmental and educational projects. (P 134) In Kazakhstan, the inherent desire of the people to help others through local community assistance is known as ‘‘Asar’’. Asar has served as an indicator of the unity of Kazakh society and of people's concern for others. Many citizens are now involved in volunteering work for the benefit of society. There are numerous active volunteer organizations in the country, such as the National Volunteer Network (local experts on volunteering and social projects in the regions of the country), the Red Crescent of Kazakhstan (humanitarian projects in the regions), Enactus (international programme on student social entrepreneurship), Rina (the search for missing people throughout the country), the 28 Loops Club (assisting premature babies across Kazakhstan and the CIS), the Good People Club (assisting people facing hardship), the League of Volunteers (volunteers in the city of Almaty), Best for Kids (assisting children) and other volunteer movements on a variety of current social and environmental topics.

No mention

2022 Voluntary National Review Kazakhstan

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SDG symbol SDG symbol SDG symbol SDG symbol SDG symbol SDG symbol

Reporting positive contribution of volunteering to the SDGs

Paragraph 1, page 65

A significant contribution to control coronavirus infection during the pandemic was made by the volunteer movement, which was reinforced by the announcement of the Year of the Volunteer in Kazakhstan in 2020. During the pandemic, representatives of volunteer organizations provided special assistance to control coronavirus by organizing free hot meals for medical personnel, purchasing expensive drugs, organizing the distribution of medicines, and providing transport for medical workers. Individual volunteers have provided support for healthcare workers by providing education for
their children, providing medical facilities with oxygen concentrates worth KZT 450 million, and raising funds to purchase masks and gloves for doctors involved in measures to control COVID-19.

Paragraph 2, page 114

The Center for Vocational Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities, established by UNDP in Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, attracted 102 volunteers (16 UN volunteers, 73 civil society volunteers and 13 online volunteers) to support the Center’s activities to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. To do this, local national volunteers with experience in career guidance, social work, psychology, legal issues and coaching work in cooperation with the Ministry and the capital akimat.

Paragraph 3, page 128

Since the declaration of the state of emergency in March 2020, volunteers have provided assistance to more than 1,258.0 thousand people in difficult life situations (war and labor veterans, lonely elderly, vulnerable social groups, large and low-income families). More than 93 thousand food packages and 5.5 million medical masks were distributed. In order to ensure public control, a group of volunteers and activists created the group “Public Control”, consisting of 397 volunteers.
 

Paragraph 4, page 165

Apart from the specialist team delivering the first aid, veterinary physicians, zoologists, ecologists and volunteers will be engaged in this work [...]. 

Furthermore, workshops and training courses on training of volunteers and specialists in the field of Caspian seals population protection and rescue will be carried out at the premises of the Center.
 

Paragraph 5, page 183

Anti-corruption enlightenment and wide preventive work: Anti-corruption enlightenment is implemented by educational, volunteer and information measures. For instance, coordination of activities of state bodies in combating corruption has been successfully implemented by active introduction of project management and offices of “Adaldyk alany”. Besides, anti-corruption media projects in republican mass media such as “AntikorNews”, “AntikorLive” and “Antikor.kz”, has been successfully realized. Thanks to the volunteer project “Adal komek”, the Agency has taken measures to raise the legal literacy of citizens, legal assistance to vulnerable social groups in addressing of vital issues has been rendered as well. Employees of the Agency, practicing lawyers, advocates, notaries, students, master’s students, PhD students, academics of law departments of higher educational institutions acted as volunteers, they regularly held free consultations for the population. 11,000 people got clarifications during the project https://e-gazet.kz/obshestvo/volonterskij-proekt-adal-komek-pomog-11-tyiskazaxstanczam.

Paragraph 6, page 195

Mobilization of volunteering for the development purposes: On December 30, 2016, the Law No.42-VІ ZRK “On Volunteering” was adopted. Since the beginning of declaring 2020 as the Volunteer Year, thenumber of voluntary organizations in the country increased 3-fold, and atthe moment, there are more than 600 of them. During the pandemic about 1 mln. Kazakhstanis joined the volunteer movement, and help was renderedto more than 1.5 mln. of our citizens in the form of food baskets, sets of life essentials, personal protective equipment. Nationwide project “Birgemiz” was realized, which covered more than 70,000 volunteers in support of children and youth, fallen on hard times, medical volunteering, eco-volunteering, preserving material and immaterial historic cultural heritage, social volunteering, volunteering in the field of emergency situations, and online volunteering. Guidelines were created in 8 priority areas, training courses for coordinators of volunteering activities, single information line, over the period of existence of which 2,500 applications were processed. In order to implement the initiative of the President of RK on declaring the International Year of Volunteers Mobilization in the UN, articulated on the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (September 21, 2020), the Concept of the International Year has been prepared and background work on its
implementation has been started, the Resolution of the International Year of Volunteers Mobilization for development purposes has been developed as well.

No mention

UNSDCF Reporting

United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework Country Kazakhstan 2021-2025

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Volunteering integrated into the narrative text of the UNSDCF

Paragraph 1, page 15

With the leadership role of the government in the process of nationalisation of the SDGs, the United Nations will use the comparative advantage of acting as a convener to consolidate engagement of all sectors and effective coordination of efforts of a wider range of stakeholders, including volunteer engagement for SDGs (SDG 17), and build an inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue that ensures that men, women, youth, elderly, disabled and marginalised members of society participate in decision-making about SDGs.  
 

Paragraph 2, page 22

We will support and strengthen the capacity of peer groups and volunteers, as well as provide them with opportunities for civic engagement and volunteerism through programmatic initiatives that intend to secure youth participation in addressing challenges and problems in communities and of vulnerable groups and to encourage their ownership and engagement into monitoring of SDG implementation (SDG 17.16). 

Paragraph 3, page 23

The main partners will include the ministries, such as Ministry of Education and Science and its subordinate bodies, Ministry of Communication and Development, Ministry of Culture and Sports, and teacher training providers at the tertiary level - “Orleu” National Professional Development Centre, Abay Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kazakh National Women’s Pedagogical University, Narxoz University, Auezov South Kazakhstan State University; other important stakeholders include schools i.e. UNESCO Associated Schools in Kazakhstan, NGOs and youth and volunteer networks, such as Kazakhstan Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centre for the Rapprochement of Cultures (Category II Centre under UNESCO auspices), Zhas Otan - Youth Network, Youth Volunteer Centres, Teenergizer – networkof adolescents living with HIV, NGO "League of Volunteers", NGO "QazVolunteers", NGO "Social Development Centre", National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan and some others. 

Paragraph 4, page 26

Support of greater decentralisation and participation of civil society and volunteer groups in formulating regional and local development plans and decisions will seek better inclusion of local priorities and the needs of women, youth, people with disabilities, the unemployed and others in plans, which is crucial for building trust in the government and to consolidate communities to implement the SDGs (SDG 16.7)

No mention
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