Analysts estimate that Amazon has up to 69 million Prime subscribers

Amazon's Prime membership service may have up to 69 million members, according to a note published by Bernstein analysts on Thursday.

Amazon launched its Prime service in 2005, and customers can pay a membership fee for faster shipping and access to its Prime Video library.

Previous estimates for the total number of Amazon Prime members came in slightly lower. Consumer Intelligence Research Partners estimated in January that Prime had 54 million customers in the US.

Bernstein says that the total number of Prime members worldwide is likely between 58 and 69 million. It came to that conclusion using two different methods: Looking at Amazon's revenues and also conducting consumer surveys.

The Bernstein note also includes some interesting details on the usage of Amazon Prime in the UK. Consumer surveys showed that Amazon Prime Video is marginally more popular amongst Prime users in the UK, with 65% of Prime members classed as monthly viewers. In the US that figure came in at 60%.

Bernstein also notes that Amazon Prime is most expensive in the UK, where it costs $119 (£82) per year. In the US it costs $99 (£68) per year, and it's only $22 (£15) per year in Italy and Spain (although those countries don't get Prime Video.) The high price of Amazon Prime in the UK has been mentioned before: The Daily Mail once referred to it as "The great Amazon rip-off."

Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through hispersonal investment company Bezos Expeditions.