It’s a pretty reasonable assumption that if a significant portion of vegans choose that lifestyle based on ethical/empathetic grounds (which is a pretty reasonable assumption n its’ own merit , IMO) then its reasonable to assume on average they’re more empathetic than meat eaters, even if there are some vegans who are not empathetic / choose the lifestyle for selfish reasons.

It could also be your friends are more empathetic to non-human animals than they are to humans.

...which is a great way to become depressed and anxious, since what industrial food production does with animals can be horrifying.