In the Kazakhstan's development, a vital priority was to stabilize the economy and strengthen the country's fiscal balance and debt-carrying capacity. In these conditions, it was necessary to use the capacity of the raw materials sector, which allowed to achieve macroeconomic stability. However, today the dependence on the extractive industry is becoming a problem, since the influence of the raw material orientation of the economy does not allow the development of new industries.The authors state that Kazakhstan is still heavily dependent on the country's raw materials. The main driving force for maintaining and increasing competitiveness is the production and export of mineral resources. However, it is impossible to compete in the global market without supplying finished products. The dependence of exports on one or more sectors of the economy can lead to such negative consequences as a slowdown in economic growth, loss of competitiveness, increase in technology gap, government budget deficit, decrease in the quality of life, environmental problems and social unrest.In this article, the authors consider the essence of diversification and the need for it in extractive industry-based countries such as Kazakhstan, impact on various indicators of the economy, main methods and tools of state regulation of structural transformations. The article presents an analysis of the sectors that show the potential for moving the country towards economic diversification. The study assessed the challenges and main problems of the manufacturing industry, the oil and gas sector, which can best contribute to the diversification of the economy. The role of the state in developing policies for future strategies and plans of the government in the field of economic diversification is also revealed.