Sales of carbonated soft drinks continued to plummet in 2013, with the number of cases sold reaching a nearly two-decade low.

Last year marked the ninth consecutive year of sales decline, with total sales falling 3% to 8.9 billion cases in 2013. Each case is equivalent to 192 fl. oz. Sales fell 1.2% in 2012 and 1% in 2011, according to a Beverage Digest newsletter, Reuters reports.

One reason for the decline could be a growing awareness of the obesity epidemic in the U.S. and growing health concerns surrounding sugar-sweetened beverages. According to Reuters, industry experts say the beverage industry is shrinking under the scrutiny. Even diet-branded drinks have suffered a loss of sales with concerns over artificial sweeteners.

In 2013, Coca-Cola Co.’s share of soft drinks rose by 0.4% and PepsiCo Inc.’s share shrank by 0.4%. Only Sprite experienced sales growth last year.

[Reuters]

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