What do the modern day Ivory Coast and the 19th century Netherlands have in common? According to research from the Groningen Growth and Development Center, the size of their economies is virtually identical. Professor Robert Inklaar, who is a participant in the Growth and Development Center, says that one of the center’s most powerful tools is the Penn World Table, which gathers data about the economic output and productivity of 180 countries around the world all the way back to the 1950s and even further in some cases. But what are the best ways to compare economic performance? How can intangible digital products and services be accounted for in measuring prosperity? We sat down with professor Inklaar to hear all about the past, present and even future of using data to figure out just how well any given country’s economy is doing.